宮里 藍 - Another Ai Win at HSBC Women's Open

Decidedly, Ai Miyazato is off to a stellar start in 2010.

With her ten-under-par 278 victory this week at the HSBC Women's Champions, she became the first LPGA player in over four decades to start the the season with back-to-back wins. Her ultra-impressive, come-from-behind victory last week in Thailand started the sweep.

Meanwhile Cristie Kerr reaffirmed her place as the USA's top golfer, and offered the tournament a thrilling finish, as she battled Ms. Miyazato down the stretch in the final round. Her first fourteen holes featured five birdies and no bogeys before she took the lead with a birdie on the sixteenth. ~ However, an inauspicious encounter with fire ants, and back-to-back bogies followed, resulting in a 280 second place finish for the tournament. One back in a tie for third were Jiyai Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng and Song-Hee Kim.

The next LPGA event, Kia Classic presented by J Golf, will begin on March 22, at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, CA. It'll be a chance for Ai Miyazato to go for three-in-a-row... and a first win on US soil. I'm guessing that might be the next golf goal for this petite, powerful champion.

Photos: Andy Lyons/Getty Images AsiaPac

HSBC Women's Champions - The Age of Possibilities

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Earlier today I came upon a 1999 profile of Juli Inkster in the archives of SI Vault.

Described in the quaint parlance of the day, as a "Soccer Mom", Julie was in fact, a mother of two at that point, and had just won the 54th U.S. Women's Open at Old Waverly Golf Club.

With that win she effectively advanced a couple of points toward her Hall of Fame goal and proved that her "comeback from the distracting joys and responsibilities of motherhood" was legit.

At that time few would have guessed that 10 years and two children later... with Hall of Fame membership in her pocket... the 49 year old would still be topping leader boards. But she is.

Tonight Juli Inkster shares a two-shot lead with Ai Miyazato going into the HSBC Women's Champions. If she wins tomorrow. she'll be the oldest winner in LPGA history.

Photos: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Global Golf - Growth Guaranteed in China

A turn-around trip to the District of Columbia today... delayed both ways by an all-day deluge in the northeast... kept me away from this keyboard for what seemed like forever. I'm just in, and it's after midnight. The day was long, not to mention chilly and wet and gray.

I was in the Nation's Capitol to begin work on a writing project with a distinguished financial writer, who's also an avid golfer. Our topic is one of the most interesting in golf today: the growth of the game in China.

After discussing the subject for several hours this afternoon, I know it's going to be amazing to visit some of the country's extraordinary golf venues later this year... and I look forward to talking to some of those who've been involved with golf in China since its (fairly recent) beginning.


Photo: Ryan Pyle, Ryan Pyle Photography

You Can Win John Daly's Signed Slix at Oobgolf

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How often does one get the chance to win a sumptuous undergarment signed by a legendary golf champion?

Like never, right?

Well... except this once. So you're not going to want to miss it.

The Prize: An autographed pair of Slix boxer briefs. They're part of the recently launched Slix line of men's underwear that's already received ample accolades from some very discerning gentlemen.

The Golfer: Newly appointed spokesperson for Slix, John Daly. ~ As a multiple winner on the PGA tour and a two time major champion, his compelling story, unique personality and friendly, down-to-earth style make him one of the most popular players in the world. ~ And whether it's on stage in Augusta earning money for The First Tee programs, or on Missouri golf courses hosting his Lion's Heart Invitational, the renegade Renaissance man doesn't hesitate to give back. Fans can look forward to his reality show “Being John Daly” which debuts March 2 on The Golf Channel.

The Contest: Head on over to Oobgolf the game tracking, entertainment and social networking site that connects golfers, leagues, scores, courses, and equipment. All you have to do is leave a comment. You have till Monday, March 1st, at 9pm.

So what are you waiting for?

So Hot, So Pretty - HSBC Women's Champions

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While the PGA Tour is in Phoenix getting ready for the annual boisterous bacchanalia golf tournament known as the Phoenix Open, another tour on the other side of the planet is... collectively painting orchids on silk?

I know. That comparison sounds totally Mars/Venus doesn't it? But peinture sur soie is just one of many activities top LPGA golfers are taking part in leading up the HSBC Women's Champions later this week.

There'll be VIP galas and evening events with sponsors. Plus, Singapore has some of the best shopping and dining in the world, and they just opened The Resorts World Sentosa, a huge entertainment and resort complex.

Fifty-four of the top fifty-five players from the 2009 LPGA Official Money List will be in Singapore for the event. Defending champion Jiyai Shin, World Number One Lorena Ochoa, US Number One Cristie Kerr and Sunday's winner Ai Miyazato all took up paint brushes in lieu of putters yesterday, along with avid artist Michelle Wie. They each put their own personal touch on a single orchid in the batik painting that will commemorate this year's tournament.

HSBC is a great supporter of golf and runs quite a number of programs to develop young golfers. You can read about them on the tournament website. Oh, and there's an HSBC Women's Championship Facebook page. too.

Accenture Match Play - Poulter's Patience Pays Off

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Through myriad matches and diverse opponents Ian James Poulter prevailed, defeating fellow Englishman Paul Casey to take the title at Accenture Match Play.

Some immediately proclaimed it a huge win while others brushed it off as no big deal. Poulter himself was sanguine, and satisfied with a maiden PGA Tour victory that he felt had "...been a long time coming." And having written about Ian Poulter for several years now... mainly puff pieces that revolved are porkpie hats or pink patent leather golf shoes... I had to agree with that sentiment.

Back a couple of years ago, before golf discovered social media... when the message was still largely controlled by a handful of prestigious print publications with substantial ad revenues, Ian Poulter was often ridiculed. Or at the very least, he was looked down upon as a something of a buffoon; spoiled, subversive Eurotrash... style over substance.

Any on-course brush with brilliance was considered a fluke, or written off as an anomaly. And when he appeared in the altogether and proclaimed himself a possible successor to Tiger Woods, many a golf scribe became downright indignant.

That this preening, self-indulgent, slightly louche, Rod-Stewart-look-alike would compare himself to our clean cut, self-disciplined, always-above-reproach Tiger Woods was outrageous and insulting.

Flash forward two years: the golf media landscape has been transformed by the digital age and declining ad dollars, and our ever-exemplary golf champion has been exposed as a man living a lie... a rather salacious, smarmy lie at that. As for Ian James Poulter he's still strutting around like a peacock, in purple plaid and various shades of pink. ~ But at number five in the world, with a PGA Tour under his white alligator belt, most are taking him quite seriously.

Cristie Kerr's Two Eagles = Charity Dollars from Scratch

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Cristie Kerr and Scratch Golf form a decidedly dynamic pairing. A pairing that resulted in two eagle chip-ins on Saturday at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand.

The USA's number one woman golfer carded a 6-under-par 66 in the tournament's third round. Her eagles came on holes 7 and 18. It was a bogey free day that also included a couple of birdies, and earned the year's first on-course contributions for Birdies for Breast Cancer, the charity Cristie founded and works so tirelessly for. Not only does Cristie donate fifty dollars for every birdie and one hundred per eagle, in addition, her sponsor Scratch Golf, whose wedges were instrumental in those two eagles will donate one hundred for each of them.

Scratch Golf is a family run company out of Portland, Oregon that started with a grinding wheel in a garage in 2003. They produce irons, hybrids and putters, but are best known for their amazing custom-fit wedges. The PGA Tour's Ryan Moore, a player known to be ultra-discerning about endorsement signed a deal with the unique club company in 2009.

Cristie Kerr finished the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand in a tie for 4the at 13 under for tournament and looks to be on her way to another stellar season. In 2009 she made every cut, had 13 top 10 finishes and a victory at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. As the LPGA now moves on to Singapore for the HSBC Women's Championship, Cristie is looking forward to her best year ever.



You can make a pledge to Birdies for Breast Cancer right here and help fight breast cancer along with Cristie's Team Birdies.

Ai Win! Ai Miyazato Wins Honda PTT LPGA Thailand

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She's been described as Japan’s golf wonder girl... and she did something pretty wonderful at the LPGA's season opener.

Starting the final round five strokes behind Suzanne Pettersen, Ai Miyazato played a remarkable game of catch-up. She added an eagle to a slew of birdies and came up with a 9-under-par 63 today at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand. With that, she won the season-opening event by one shot over 2007 champ Suzann Pettersen.

Despite the substantial deficit and a bogey on the second hole Ms. Miyazato, was able to keep focused. “Just every single shot, try to hit the fairway, hit the green and make some putts." that was her methodology. "It was really simple" she explained, "but under the pressure it was really difficult to do." I'd say "really difficult" sounds like an understatement. The Constructivist has a more detailed (and very enthusiastic) analysis of Ai-sama's win on his awesome site Mostly Harmless.

Ai Miyazato is an uber-star in Japan and often credited with reviving public interest in women’s golf in Japan. If she is playing, television audiences soar and thousands of additional spectators are drawn to golf courses when she's playing in a tournament.

It looks like 2010 might be good year for golf in Japan.

Match Play Semi-Finals: Four Big Stars - No Americans

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Actually, that's not true... though it's been reported that way all over the place... In fact, Camilo Villegas is as American as apple pie. Except that he hails from the south... way down south in the southern hemisphere. But I know what they mean.

When Stewart Cink was eliminated by Paul Casey this morning at Dove Mountain it market the first time in the 12-year history of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship that the semi-finals have included no US Americans.

A pair of Englishmen a Spaniard and a Colombian are now have way through the semi-final round on a desert course that's behaving more like an Open Championship course weather-wise. These are golfers we know well and (most of us) love to watch ...PGA players who spend much of their time on North America soil.

It's not the finish some had feared... the weekend with no known names... but considering that 20 US players stared out on Wednesday it does seem to reaffirm the growing global nature of golf. Granted with Tiger Woods, shall we say, otherwise occupied... and Phil Mickelson not playing, it could be said that valuable US elements were missing. There's also the common argument that we don't play match play growing up while the rest of the world does consequently they just don't "feel it" the players from other countries do.

No matter how you look it though, all indications are that the days of US domination in golf are may well be coming to a close. With golf now an Olympic sport, countries across the globe are making investments in golf, building infrastructure and developing national junior golf programs. Here in the US we've got private system and awesome organizations like The First Tee and the American Junior Golf Association but is that enough these days? Maybe it is, because maybe the world has just become that much smaller.

After all, the four players in the semi-finals today; Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and "token American" Camilo Villegas studied here and/or live here... and they're huge stars here, maybe we should just embrace them as our own. That's my idea.

As I See it: The Tiger Who Won't Go Away

golf pundit and author of a new book, Patricia Hannigan writes,
It's been twelve hours since Tiger talked, and predictably people have been asking for my reaction. I've been hesitant to share it for fear of sounding... I don't know... naive? Something like that.

You see, I came away from the Tiger Woods press conference feeling much the way I felt a couple of months ago when the scandal first broke and Tiger's transgressions first came to light: I like Tiger Woods.

The affairs, and the arrogance... the deception and duplicitous behavior, somehow... for some reason... didn't stop me from liking him. In fact, I now realize they could probably tell me that Tiger Woods was a serial killer ... and I'd still like him. That's because when I say I like him what I actually mean is ... I have a soft spot in my heart for him. And it seems I probably always will.

That's the only way I know to explain it. Perhaps it's a kind of denial... but not really. Because I'm totally aware of the irony. Here's the thing: Starting on the morning of November 28, one scorned woman after another appeared on the scene. They all seemed to have layered hair, pouty lips, and pushed-up, pneumatic breasts. They brought with them ever-more-salacious stories of sex and deception, illustrated by a battery voice mails and text messages.

The tabloids, and the tabloid-inspired golf bloggers, covered the story and its cast of characters in minute detail. Relentlessly. As they should have, because that's their job. Ultimately they were joined by disgruntled members of the very golf media that had once routinely... and happily..."given Tiger Woods a proverbial "pass".

Motivated by years of pent-up resentment ... or by abject fear in these journalistically tumultuous time....this diverse group of golf content-creators dug for dirt and rehashed the most provocative stories coming out of the Tiger Woods rumor mill. Complete with timelines, surprise revelations and photoshopped spreads of the most marketable mistresses.

The group narrative got louder by the week, forming a collective crescendo of increasingly yellowish journalism. And I read it. Most of it anyway, because I'm supposed to be a golf scribbler of sorts myself.

And that's when it began to dawn on me: Through it all... through eighty plus days of continuous, tabloid-tainted coverage, I could not shake the good Tiger.

The little guy on the Mike Douglas show who grew up to become an extraordinary champion at a uniquely difficult and honorable sport. The man who resonated with every race and nationality because he seemed to represent them all. The benevolent, supremely confident, extremely capable, professional golfer with the warm smile.

Throughout the apologetic, awkward, much anticipated press conference, that Tiger just wouldn't go away. And he will not go away now. Because during those years before the scandal, that Tiger did exist. If only in my mind, as an ideal. And I feel like I'm better for it.

Match Play Shirt of the Day - Jeev Milkha Singh

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Yesterday's second round at Accenture Match Play was another day of surprise upsets and unlikely outcomes.

That's what I love about the format. It gives you a different perspective on the players you think you know really well. For example, Watching Tim Clark or Sergio Garcia play in a normal tournament is one thing, but watching them go head to head ... like they will today ... is a different experience altogether.

Match Play distills the game of golf down to it's most exciting elements. Yesterday Tim Clark defeated Marting Kaymer one of the top Europeans, and a recent winner of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Sergio Garcia beat Denmark's Anders Hansen, so today it'll be Clark vs Garcia, and though they've got way different styles, they seem pretty evenly matched. It's anyone's guess as to how it'll turn out.

Ogilvy, McIlroy, Westwood, Furyk ... all were surprisingly put out of the running yesterday, and their absence sets the stage for some interesting matches.

Ryo Ishikawa vs Thaichong Jaidee will be one to watch. Think about it, Mr. Jaidee was already jumping out of airplanes as a paratrooper in the Thai Army when his opponent was born! However, the two-decade-plus age difference creates advantages for each golfer; 18 year old Ryo's youth may allow him to play riskier, but at 40, Thaichong has a steely determination that he's built upon for ages. Most are predicting a Ryo win but I wouldn't count Jaidee out just yet.

Then there's Jeev Milkha Singh, winner of yesterday's SOD award. Mr. Singh won for his stylish pink polo featuring subtle horizontal pinstripes and a solid pink collar... worn buttoned up to the very top. It looked great, and pink is my favorite color the color du jour, definitely Shirt Of the Day material. Kudos to Mr.Singh for that.

But beyond his winning shirt, the story of Jeev Milkha Singh is an awesome one that starts with his winning genes. His Dad Milkha Singh was an Olympic athlete, a sprinter who once held the 400 m world record, and is considered one of India's best athletes of all time. His Mom was captain of the Indian Women's Volleyball team.

Jeev Singh's historical accomplishments as an Indian golfer are many: first Indian golfer to become a member of the European Tour... first Indian to make the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings... first Indian golfer to participate in the Masters Tournament. He's also achieved the highest ranking for an Indian golfer in any major event, finishing at T9 in the 2008 PGA Championship in Oakland Hills.

He's considered the best Indian golfer ever and has contributed much to the growth of the sport in his country. Jeev Milkha Singh had his first child... a little boy... just a few weeks ago.

At this year's Accenture Match Play, the understated Indian golfer has played with aplomb for the first two rounds. After his surprising defeat of Padraig Harrington in the first round and Matt Kuchar yesterday, today he'll face an extremely tough opponent in Ian Poulter. If both play they way they've been known to play... and both wear something awesome... it'll be a great match to watch.

Match Play Shirt of the Day - Thongchai Jaidee

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That prize had to go to Thongchai Jaidee, for the whimsical candy-striped chemise, pictured at left.

The paratrouper-turned-golf champion, turned candy cane from Thailand won his match in style yesterday, annihilating Ross Fisher at 5 and 4.

Fisher, who won the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain last October, was expect to take this match, however as evidenced in Dubai last week, Thongchai Jaidee should not be overlooked.

But speaking again of shirts... there was a profusion of pink on display at Dove Mountain yesterday, indicating that it may be a big color on the PGA Tour this year. The normally neon-clad Ryo Ishikawa however, put aside his trademark crayola colors for an uncharacteristic (but awesome) black on black look. The Japanese teen defeated up-and-coming Australian, Michael Sims in an exciting youth-match. Ryo's birdie on 17 after an impressive fairway bunker shot to about two feet and another birdie on 18 clinched him the win.














Check back later for today's shirt of the day.

When Tiger Talks - The Long-Awaited Apology

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I hate weepy public apologies.

I don't care who did what to who, I don't care if the mea culpa is coming from a male or female, and I don't care what's at stake. I just hate them.

Even if they're sincere... which they certainly sometimes are... the on-camera tears make them seem contrived and superfluous and the well-documented sobs always detract from the seriousness.

So I hope that's not what happens on Friday, when Tiger talks.

... And I don't think it will be. After all, he's not going to go on Oprah, as some suggested he should. ESPN's Rick Reilly, was one of them, and the award-winning journalist, known in some circles as a Overpaid Millionaire Hack, went on to suggest that Tiger needed to say something like: "I'm Tiger Woods and I was addicted to sex".

There are some embittered old blowhards veteran golf writers, like Reilly... and the indignantly outraged Alex Miceli... who are harboring years of pent-up anger against Tiger Woods for the ultra-limited access he's always given them... and there are certain golf bloggers who saw a surge relative uptick in their traffic when this story broke... latched onto it... and don't want it to see it fizzle out in a carefully crafted 15 minute statement. Some of these folks want to see tears and anguish, they want to be able to question Tiger Woods about each alleged mistress or each event on the Tiger time-lines they've been posting since early December.

However, from what I've seen and heard, the majority of golf fans aren't interested in the salacious stories of extramarital escapades, they don't want protracted apologies, they really don't feel that Tiger Woods owes them anything. The true golf fans just want him to get this over with, and start playing golf again. Sooner rather than later.

Jen Wang and Diana Nguyen, the amazing ladies of DISGRASIAN.com, said it well. As usual. female golf pundit Patricia Hannigan

Another First for The Molinari Brothers at Match Play

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They made history... twice... when they won the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup last November.

Francesco and Edoardo Molinari were the first pair of brothers AND the first Italians to ever win that event. And this week they'll add another page to their historical legacy...at the Accenture Match Play Championship... when they become the first set of brothers to take part in a World Golf Championships event.

Both acknowledge that it's great to have a brother along on tour. They exchange ideas on their games, practice together... and always have someone to have dinner with.

Of course it would be awesome to see Francesco and Edoardo meet in the finals of the Sam Snead bracket... which actually could happen. However, each would need to win his first three matches, starting with Stewart Cink for Edoardo, and Zach Johnson for Francesco.



So a Moliari vs Moliari match is kind of a long shot... but it's fun to imagine the possibility and it's a good opportunity for American golf fans to get more familiar with these rising stars of global golf who'll both be back on US soil in April for the Masters.

Pent-up Demand for the Real Return of David Duval

female golf pundit, "female golf pundit"
I never knew much about David Duval.

Having discovered golf only a few short years ago myself, I'd essentially missed his story.

On occasion his name would come up... most recently at the US Open this past summer, when his T2 finish led to unfulfilled hopes of a comeback. More often though, it was in a post about another players's monumental reversal of fortunes... another great golfer, like Ernie Els or Michelle Wie, at risk of falling off the map.

It was like... every time some sarcastic scribe got the urge to predict a golfer's rapid decline, they'd gleefully pull out the name of David Duval. Duvalesque even became a legitimate golf adjective. Like Van de Veldian... only worse.

I sensed there had been an epic demise, and I knew there was something extraordinary about the David Duval story, but I wasn't totally sure I wanted to know what it was. Unlike some in this business, I hate a demise.

At the conclusion of yesterday's AT&T Pebble Beach National ProAm, David Duval had posted four rounds in the 60s at a 72-hole event for the first time since 2001... and his renaissant comeback was the biggest story of the tournament. It seemed like even the most cynical of golf writers were expressing their cautious optimism. The the desire for a story of redemption in these less-than-optimistic times was palpable.

So I decided I'd better do a bit of research into a player who was no more than an unknown enigma to me. ~ Of course in the end I spent several hours on David Duval... That's how compelling his story is. I read about his ascent to golf glory and the number one spot in the world in 1999... and his ultra-dramatic 59 that year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic... his Tour Championship and Open Championship wins and the winning day he shared with his Dad. Inspiring, heartwarming stories like that. Of course I also read myriad stories of the "skydive-without-a-parachute leap into obscurity" that ensued. Over the years he's been called aloof and arrogant and brash. He's also been described as as cerebral, shy and sensitive. I won't rehash it here as most already know it. But suffice to say that by the time I finished my research, I fully understood the David Duval thing that had just taken place in Monterey.

I just went over to Mr. Duval's wall and joined a couple of hundred other fans to wish him luck going forward and I think we'd all love to see this be the real return.

♥ ♥ ♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥ ♥ ♥

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Rickie Fowler & Ryo Ishikawa - Golf's Young Guns and Their Youthful Pebble Beach Style Statements ✂ ✂ ✂

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When it comes to fairway fashion, some golf writers are just plain clueless. Otherwise why would they refer to Ryo Ishikawa and Rickie Fowler as "Gumby and Smurf"?

Tri-Sanctioned Avantha Masters - Global Golf in India

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Far from the misty fairways of Pebble Beach, the inaugural Avantha Masters is taking place in India.

The venue is the DLF Golf and Country Club Just outside of New Delhi, and the course is an Arnold Palmer parkland design, that winds around several lakes. The Arivali Mountain Range forms a distinctive background.

The € 1.5 million tournament is tri-sanctioned between the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India, and many are pointing to it as evidence of the growing strength of the Asian Tour and increasing role India may play in that development.

India goes somewhat "under the radar" on the Global Golf map, when you consider that it's produced more Asian Tour Order of Merit champions than any other country and in a country where cricket is revered, it's the fastest growing sport.

Players like Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Gaurav Ghei have made names for themselves internationally. Though still plagued by its reputation as an inaccessible sport for the utra-rich, there are now a number of organizations working to promote golf in India at the grass root level. Golf Next is one such organization, and with golf now in the Olympics, many feel there will be a push to develop public course and driving ranges throughout the country.

At the Avantha Masters, today's action was interrupted by an afternoon hailstorm, and a number of players will need to complete their second rounds tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, Jeev Singh will not be playing this weekend as he has no chance of making the cut. It's undoubtedly a masive disappointment for this player, currently ranked 59th in the world. His 15 international titles include not a single win in India, and it seems he's taking some heat for that.

An Indian player winning in India would focus a massive amount of attention on the sport and clearly, the planets seemed perfectly aligned for that player to be Mr. Singh this weekend. After all, he's placed 12th, 15th and 11th in his three starts on this particular course and just a week ago placed 15th at the Dubai Desert Classic. However, when one considers that in just the past month this global golfer has played two tournaments in the Middle East AND welcomed his first baby into the world. Well... I'm thinking exhaustion may have played a part in his less than stellar performance.

High hopes have also been dashed for other local players including Gaganjeet Bhullar, whose five Professional Golf Tour of India wins include one on this very course in September. However, with Rahil Gangjee in a tie for 8th and Jyoti Randhawa at T20 there's still hope of an Indian Champion by Sunday. Regardless of how the tournament turns out though, there's no denying that India will have a growing presence in the Global Golf Landscape.

Photos: Getty Images

Rickie, Ryo & A Rainbow Over Pebble Beach

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Attractive young professional golfers Rickie Fowler and Ryo Ishikawa, will be joined by attractive young actors Chris O'Donell and Lucas Black tomorrow morning for a round of golf at Monterrey Peninsula Country Club.

The fetching foursome has an 8:33 tee time for the first round of 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. To find them you'll probably want to look for an ambulating mix of teenage girls and Japanese photographers. It'll be quite interesting to see how the two future stars interact, as they'll almost certainly be playing together for years to come.

But Rickie and Ryo aren't the only ones who'll attract attention, in fact there are quite a number of provocative pairings. Sergio Garcia will be playing with Josh Duhamel who happens to be a friend of his... and who's own "he cheated with a stripper" adventure has been giving Tiger Woods some competition in the tabloids of late. Then there'll be Cowboys uber-fan John Daly and Tony Romo. They'll attract a crowd even if they don't wear matching Loudmouths.












Some lamented a lack of big name celebrities, longing for the legendary days of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Jack Lemmon... and Jack Daniels. Clearly "stars" were "stars" back then... in a way they just aren't these days. The popularity of reality shows and cable series has seen to that. But the golf course on the shores of Pebble Beach is still as incredibly beautiful as ever and it'll be fun to watch young golfers Ryo and Rickie play there for the first of what will certainly be many times.

This morning an awesome Japanese reader sent me this link to a clip showing Ryo playing a practice round on the misty seaside course with a rainbow overhead. The young champion looked tired, almost jaded as he walked the wet fairways. But then his group comes to a clearing and discovers a small herd of deer... and a few seconds later a hawk suddenly takes wing in front of them. And that short clip perfectly illustrates the lasting beauty of golf at Pebble Beach.

A Facebook Friend's Pebble Beach Ryo Sighting

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The Monterey Peninsula was chilly and gray for much of day yesterday. It rained on and off, and many of those practicing... or playing in the ProAm... wore dark, non-descript rain gear.

Then there was Ryo... wearing the brightest shade of yellow ever seen anywhere in the universe.

Trailed by photographers... and journalists scribbling on their little pads... it wasn't difficult to locate the youthful Japanese superstar. If you knew what to look for, as my Facebook friend, Jean-henri Bernard clearly did.

Jean-henri, who pens VraideVrai, a fun and fascinating French blog about his own ultra-global golf adventures, easily located the Bashful Prince. Predictably, Ryo was surrounded by soggy scribes and wet, camera wielding fans... and to me it looks like he might justbe getting a bit weary of the whole media circus thing.

But he still cut a dashing figure in the Monterey mist and the awesome Jean-henri generously sent me some photographic evidence of such. My relentless and effusive succinct Ryo-centric Facebook wallposts evidently gave Mr. Bernard the impression I was obsessed with the Japanese star and his stunning sense of style... which is somewhat true an exaggeration. There are additional funny unique photos on VraideVrai of this event and the other amazing, golf tournaments this intrepid golf traveler has attended.
















And that's what I love about Social Media. You meet people you would never have ever met in the "real world"... and see things you'd never have seen.

And it sure adds another dimension to a Connecticut snow day.

Contextual Irony and New England Golf Weather ☃

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I dare say, one would need more than a few tips to "stay warm on the course" when it's 23-33° with heavy snow and wind, but weather.com offered them anyway. My favorite was Mind Your Dimples.

Ryo Ishikawa Shows The Golf World He's Ready

Any lingering doubts that Ryo Ishikawa's talents would travel were surely put to rest over the past few days on the sometimes-rain-soaked fairways of Riviera Country Club.



Playing in the Northern Trust Open, his first US event of the year, the timid Japanese teenager comfortably made the cut and finished at T32; his career-best result on the US PGA Tour. ~ Stellar performance on Thursday and Friday kept Ryo in the top ten through rounds one and two and earned him the "shot of the day" honors for his second round eagle on the 17th featured in the clip above.

Ryo-kun falterd a bit with multiple bogies in round three and four but finished the tournament with a flourish. His back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 in the final round - including the forty foot final putt featured below - should give the Bashful Prince an awesome confidence boost as he heads to Pebble Beach for this week's tournament.

Christina Kim, John Raser & New Media for Golf Fans

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The Talent
Christina Kim: Embulent, engaging and ultra-talented LPGA golfer.
John Raser: Pro Golfer on the road to the PGA Tour.

The Tools
UStream: a website platform for live video streaming of events online.
Twitter: a social networking and microblogging service.
iPhone: an internet enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc.

The Event
The Twitter Open 2010: A livestreaming "golf match for the ages" pitting Ms. Kim against Mr. Raser with a week of caddying hanging in the balance.
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The match went down yesterday, Superbowl Sunday, in Orlando, Florida, possibly marking the beginning of a new era in golf on the social medias ...or something like that.

I won't tell you how it turned out... you can read that here or here, or myriad other places... but suffice to say it rocked! Both as an entertaining golf show with two engaging stars, and as a demonstration of the power of the evolving social media platforms we have at our disposal. Though there are still occasional glitches, the potential is impressive, and when the players are as awesome as Christina and John it doesn't even matter that much. BTW, as you can see from the photo above, Christina was wearing an ultra-cute outfit.

If that had been the extent of it, it would already be impressive but Waggle Room's Ryan Ballengee took the social sharing to the next level by joining the new media golfers for intimate midnight three-way on ooVoo to discuss the day's event. Video chat... I meant a three-way video chat, filth mongers. ~ Anyway, it was a great way to recap/wrap-up the event and extend the virtual word-of-mouth message that there some awesome new ways to connect and communicate that can be engaging, immediate and relatively easy to use.

The Awesome 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

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The final round at the Emirates Golf Club certainly lived up up to expectations this morning.

In windy conditions with firm greens underfoot, the lead changed hands a number of times, most notably when things fell apart for Alvaro Quiros on the back nine. Alone at the top of the leader board after 13 holes, the sexy Spaniard appeared ready to take the tournament. Then came a crisis of confidence that disempowered his putting and resulted in three bogies. Senor Quiros finished the tournament tied for sixth, his only possible consolation being the fact that a fellow Spaniard, Miguel Angel Jiménez prevailed in a sudden death playoff against Lee Westwood to take win the 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic.



Then there was Tom Watson who took the day's windy conditions and turned them into an excellent final round 68 and a share of eight place for the tournament. ~ It seems a couple of camel rides and some quiet time spent in the Arabian desert can do wonders for a golfer.

Photos: Top-AP/Noush Salimi, Below-Getty Images/David Cannon

Dubai Desert Classic - Four-way into the Final Round

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The gaggle of golfers sharing the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic represent 42 combined European Tour wins between them, setting the stage for an extremely exciting Sunday at Emirates Golf Course.

At 11 under, in a four-way tie for the lead is Europe's number one Lee Westwood, along with two talented Spaniards; affable Alvaro Quiros and colorful Cigar Aficionado cover model, Miguel Angel Jimenez. Then there's Asian number one Thongchai Jaidee, who led going into the third round. The forty-year-old former paratrooper feels he's in the best shape of his life and... inspired by Y.E.Yang's 2009 PGA Championship win... has set his sights on a major for 2010.

And... as if this formidable foursome weren't enough, Rory McIlroy is just two back and followed closely by credible contenders like Edoardo Molinari, Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey.

As for Tom Watson... in Dubai for the first time... he shares 29th place with Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, among others. And from the looks of it he... and his wife, Hilary... have had a pretty awesome time sightseeing.
















Photos: Getty Images

Northern Trust Open - Ryo Ishikawa Doesn't Disappoint

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Well you can't say I didn't warn you.

I said I'd be obsessing writing about Ryo. ~ After all The Northern Trust Open marked a welcome return to the US for the 18 year old Japanese golfer. Hopes were that he'd play well and make the cut. Last year it didn't work out that way - the young player explained that his nerves got the better of him.

I was hoping it'd be different this year... hoping his four wins on the Japanese tour in 2009 would give him the confidence needed to win here. I was also looking forward to the possibility of an awesome Ryolicious color statement.

Needless to say, Mr. Ryo didn't disappoint. In fact at one point, after a slew of birdies, the one they call "Bashful Prince" got as low as 5-under through 14 holes. Towards the end of his round there was a slight unraveling, but he finished the round with a solid place on the leader board and appeared to feel good about his possibilities of playing this weekend.

In a sea of sad looking gray, beige and black, one player was wearing a bright, ebullient turquoise. It was Ryo, of course.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images North America

Molinaris & Manassero: Italian Golfers Shine in Dubai

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Three Italians are playing in Dubai this week and all three are off to a smashing start today in round one of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Elder Molinari, Edoardo shot a four-under-par 68 that gave him part of a six-way tie for the lead and just one back is another Italian... but this time it's not little bro Francesco.

Sharing a five-way T7 with Alvaro Quiros among others, is 16-year-old amateur Matteo Manassero. You may remember young Mr. Manassero from his victory in the 2009 British Amateur. That win secured the teen a ticket to Augusta National and he'll be the youngest player ever to play in The Masters this year.

And as for the Jr. Molinari, Francesco, he's not languishing either. His first-round finish at -1 puts him in the top twenty too, tied with 12 other players, including such onerous adversaries as Martin Kaymer.

It's just the first round, but in an formidable field of international stars the Italians are definitely shining brightly.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Europe

The Awesomeness of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

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There's another stellar field set to tee off tomorrow morning in the Arabian desert.

It's the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the defending champion is Rory McIlroy who joined others in the par 3 challenge under the floodlights.

Doesn't that look awesome? ..lot's more to come...

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Europe

Lady Golfers Politely Defer to Gentlemen Golfers

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Yeah, right.

OK. It's not like the girls are rude or anything but they're not exactly deferential either.

This clip, from the always entertaining Heather Jones, presents in amusing detail, a classic Mars/Venus golf course encounter.

It'll definitely look familiar to just about any woman who plays golf with other women on a regular basis. However, I'm not sure if any men will own up to seeing themselves in it. In any case, it's lots of fun to watch.

For the full story behind this clip... and for more of Heather's unique humor... visit her awesome golf blog Real Women Golf.

Welcome Back to America Ryo Ishikawa. We ♥ You !

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Whimsically wonderful Ryo Ishikawa is back on US shores, and not a moment too soon.

While the PGA Tour struggles with a simmering scandal and a weighty rules issue, the young Japanese champion will bring a welcome breath of fresh air... and a rainbow of riotous color... to the 2010 Northern Trust Open later this week.

Ryo actually arrived several days ago, to indulge in one of his all time favorite hobbies: shopping. He's hit at least one California mall and been spotted at In-N-Out Burger. Talk about living the Southern California lifestyle.

The last time Ryo was stateside, was in October, as one of Greg Norman's two captain's selections for the International Presidents Cup team. He was the youngest player ever on a President's Cup team and won three matches at that event... including the famous one against Kenny Perry. Meanwhile, he also became Japan's youngest ever money list winner.

Never short on style, Mr. Ishikawa's English was somewhat limited when he was here last year, obliging him to speak through a translator most of the time and perpetuating his reputation as the bashful prince. But rumor has it he's been working with a language coach and is determined to answer questions in English this time around. That would definitely delight his growing contingent of US fans and with golf growing globally, it's a sound business decision too.

OK so here's the thing. I may be posting about Ryo Ishikawa a lot... like, tons... in the coming days. He's that fun. For now, courtesy of top global golf news source, Mostly Harmless, here's Ryo playing in a type of Japanese Big Break with some other awesome Japanese stars. Cuteness personified.



Photos by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images AsiaPac

Mickelson, PING & Golf's Polemical New Grooves Rule

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"Golf is a game about suffering and despair, interspersed with glimmers of hope,'' opined Frank Hannigan, a contributing editor of Golf Magazine and former president of the United States Golf Association. ''It can be alleviated by going into a store and buying something."

So begins an article by Jeffrey Lener that appeared in The New York Times on June 25, 1989. The piece has a retro feel to it. Nothing too tangible, but a certain restraint that would hardly be acceptable in the snark-filled waters of today's golf media. Mr. Lener writes about the era's advances in golf equipment technology, and how they were causing questions to be raised regarding the rules of golf. Today's "Groove Controversy" was actually initiated way back then and was touched upon in the article.

As a passionate-but-purely-recreational golfer, I realize my own game will never be affected by the grooves on my irons. Like many happy golf aficionados my skill set doesn't involve generating backspin, and probably never will.

But when I watch the PGA pros play, the counter-intuitive rollback that often happens when a ball hits the green, never fails to impressed me. ~ I vaguely knew it came from the juxtaposition of a soft ball and the sharp grooves on a lofted wedge. But in the deft hands of skilled golfers it just seemed magical.

Last fall I began hearing ominous rumblings about the "New Groove Rule" to take effect at the beginning of 2010. As I understood it, the rule would ban wedges with the "square" grooves that are used to impart that extraordinary spin. I wondered how the players who relied on this technique... to such awesome results... would adapt. I suspected there would be complaints, gripes, protests and the like, that would be normal. I imagined the USGA would be accused of nitpicking by some and probably praised by others, but ultimately A Rule Is A Rule would apply and life would go on without the square grooves.

Like the most however, I was unaware there was a legal "loophole" in the "New Groove Rule" that would create substantial controversy. The loophole is the result of a lawsuit. A lawsuit bought by iconic golf club manufacturer PING, the family owned business founded over 50 years ago by Karsten Solheim a Norwegian immigrant who took up golf at 42, fell in love with it and began designing his own innovative equipment in his garage. The success of his perimeter weighted putters led to the creation of Karsten Manufacturing... which eventually became known as PING in 1967. A couple of years later came irons and PING ultimately became one of America's largest manufacturers of golf clubs. Meanwhile, Mr. Solheim's passion for golf turned him into a benefactor for the sport. He funded University golf couses, sponsored LPGA tournaments and was the driving force behind the creation of the Solheim Cup. In 2001, a year after his death, Karsten Solheim was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Over the years however, the very innovation that made PING's non-traditional clubs so successful, caused them to bump up against the USGA, golf's governing body for rules and equipment, a number of times. For example, in the sixties all but one of PING's putter models were outlawed due to a bend in the shaft under the grip.

In 1989 after a series of tests indicated that in certain conditions, square grooves produced more spin than clubs with conventional V-shaped grooves, thus giving players using them a possible advantage, the USGA and the PGA Tour both issued bans against the U-shaped grooves. PING, whose Eye 2 irons were the best-selling iron in the golf marketplace at the time responded with massive lawsuits against both the USGA and the PGA Tour.

At the time, it was feared by many in golf that that a jury verdict against the USGA would severely undermine the association's authority as a rule-making organization, and early in 1990 an out-of-court settlement was reached. In it the USGA agreed to drop its ban on the use of PING Eye 2-irons. In exchange, Karsten Manufacturing agreed to stop producing the PING Eye 2-iron with the wide square groove pattern and begin producing a club with conforming grooves.

Had that been the extent of it, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion, but there was more... and what's causing so much controversy today is an additional condition in the settlement stipulating that any PING Eye 2-irons produced before March 31... despite their non-conforming grooves... would forever be deemed legal under the Rules of Golf. ~ To further muddy the waters, part of the agreement also stated that the USGA had to concede that "the dispute has been strictly of a technical nature, and there was no competitive advantage to a user of the clubs." This made the PGA Tours's legal battle, with PING... a seperate case... yet more difficult.

Flash forward 20 years: The ban on U shaped grooves is finally enacted for the PGA Tour. And... as soon as it's in effect, some players reach for the old Eye 2's. The ones that are non-conforming... but legal... due to a dubious decision in a settlement made 20 years ago.

One of the pros choosing to use the controversial clubs is world number two Phil Mickelson. Other players protest. Some say he's bending the rules... others actually accuse him of cheating. With the Tiger Woods scandal losing steam, the newly tabloidesque golf media is making the most of a fresh dose of sensationalism with headlines like: "Has Phil Mickelson replaced Tiger Woods as PGA Tours top cheater?".

Regardless of what Phil Mickelson's motivations are, I'm glad he's using the "questionable" club because if one of the top players is involved, there's at least some likely hood the the matter of "the loophole" will be addressed by those who can fix it: the PGA Tour, the USGA... and what about PING? The Karsten family has a unique and profound connection to golf. The sport is part of their family history and on a practical level its growth is key to the growth of their family business. I would think they would... and should... step up to the plate and see that this controversy is resolved, because - and this is what bothers me most - for the casual golf fan, and for those just discovering the sport, this is one more reason to think of the game as difficult, complicated, ridiculous, boring and non-inclusive. None of which are characteristics that'll help grow the game.

For an interesting look at the history of this controversy check out the following news stories from the past:

A Legal Uproar Over Dimples and Grooves
Accord Is Reached On U-Groove Irons
PGA Tour Counters Image From Lawsuit

Photos of Phil Mickelson:Donald Miralle, Getty Images - Photos of PING Irons:c/o PING.com