Rocco tells it straight

Rocco Mediate always tells it straight and at a press conference last week, he gave his thoughts on how professional golfers should behave when called upon by sponsors. I've heard a few stories of golfers acting like children when asked to play in pro-am's or mingle with sponsors, some of the world's best. It's a pity there's not more Rocco's around.

A tip of the hat to the good folk over at one of the world's best golf magazine's GolfPunk, for bringing this to my attention.

Golf joke: Cow encounter

A man staggers into an emergency room with a concussion, multiple bruises, two black eyes and a five iron wrapped tightly around his throat. Naturally, the doctor asks him what happened.

"Well, it was like this", said the man. "I was having a quiet round of golf with my wife, when at a difficult hole, we both sliced our ball into a pasture of cows. We went to look for them, and while I was looking around I noticed one of the cows had something white at its rear end."

"I walked over and lifted up the tail, and sure enough, there was a golf ball with my wife's monogram on it - stuck right in the middle of the cow's backside. That's when I made my big mistake."

"What did you do?" asks the doctor. "
"Well, I lifted the cow's tail and yelled to my wife, 'Hey, this looks like yours!'.
I don't remember much after that."

Other golf jokes:
Mother Superior
Love on the course
Golf terms
The ball you can't lose
Using the new ball
Deserted island
Cow encounter

Two golf legends win again

Karrie Webb is back in the winners circle again after a two shot win over Jayai Shin. It's her first win on the LPGA Tour since 2006 and shows she's not done with winning or being Australia's top female golfer just yet.

Remember Tiger Woods? Well after injury he's back and it didn't take long for Tiger to win again. Three tournaments to be exact. Only two stroke play events.

Here's his putt on the last for the win. Does it feel like you've seen it all before? We're going to see it all a lot more yet.

Allenby will never play Australian Open again

Robert Allenby has slammed professional golf in Australia vowing never to play the Australian Open again after the bad treatment he's received over the 20 years of playing here.

We can't say we didn't see this coming as he hinted at this when he finished the final round of the Australian Open late last year. He has a point too but it's a pity the large majority of the Australian golf public who love seeing him play each year have to pay for some stupid drunks and some stupid golf administration.

"Obviously, I broke down on 15 green at the (Australian) Masters. My mum came out and I knew how sick she was. I broke down, I lost it, because I knew she wasn't going to be there for much longer.

"What they said in Sydney ruined me forever. These drunks yelling, 'That's all right mate, your mummy's not here now, you don't have to cry'.

"That was 20 years straight of the Australian Open and I thought, that's it. I'm not ever playing another Australian Open again and I'm not playing in Sydney again.

He played 20 years straight at the Australian Open last year and the way we found out was from him. After the event.

Read the full story and all comment she has to say at FoxSports.

Norman speaks about the Masters

Les Patterson (not Sir Les) from the PGA Tour interviewed Greg Norman about the build up to this years US Masters, his first since 2002. He talks about the course changes, his failures at Augusta and his favourite Augusta moment. The full interview is at the PGA Tour website but this quote caught my eye. It's something I've been speaking to golf fans a lot about recently, Augusta's undulations:

Well, 1981, my only visual was seeing Augusta National on television, so I had a preconceived notion of what it was going to be like. And when I walked out on the other side of the clubhouse in April of '81, I was shocked at the undulations and magnitude of the undulations. I was shocked that you never really had a flat lie unless you were on the tee. That never came across as I was growing up watching the Masters. So that impacted me the most.

US Masters iPhone Application

Oooooh. The US Masters is two weeks away and look what is on it's way out for the iPhone, an official Masters iPhone application.

Keep an eye out at the official US Masters website for it's release. Live stremaing video from Amen corner and the Par 3 contest! Not to mention live scores, interviews etc.

Goggin playing with fire

Mathew Goggin in action last week in Florida.

Anyone who knows me or has read this website in any detail will know I'm is a big fan of Mathew Goggin. A winning bet was even laid on him in last week's tournament. I believe he's got what it takes to not only win on the PGA Tour but to go on and rival Geoff Ogilvy as Australia's best golfer. Maybe our next major winner. The latest news on Mathew Goggin makes me like the guy even more. He's currently 1st on tour in total driving (a combination of distance and accuracy) and his tie for fourth place in last week's event moved him from 58th to 49th in the world rankings. If he can stay within the top 50 after this week's event, he gets a shot at the US Masters in a few weeks.

He's decided to play this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational and in doing so could potentially jeopardise his chance of playing at Augusta. He has a good chance of playing at Augusta if he doesn't play this week but he's decided to chance it and control his own destiny. A good performance will cement his spot in the Masters field and the way he's playing, there's every chance he'll be there.

Following up on the Stephen Leaney story from last week, Aussie Golfer was able to get in touch with his management company. I asked for some contact details in order to get the low down on his plans this year but they decided to just tell me themselves:

Stephen has been given a major medical exemption incorporating 11 starts in 2009.
He will attempting to earn sufficient funds to equal either 125th place on the 2008 US Tour Money list (or 150th place) and earn the exemptions that equate to those finishes. He plays his 2nd event next week in Houston.

Nice of them. Next time I want to know about special relativity, I'll ask Stephen Hawking's mum.

So after missing the cut in last week's event he's got 10 more events to earn $694,789. We wish him all the best.

I'm giving you all an week extension on this week's golf trivia questions. Just not good enough!

How many golf courses can you remember?

How many golf courses can you remember hole for hole?

Imagine the course you've played the most. Can you recall the 1st hole? The 2nd? Can you picture all 18 holes? If so, how many other courses can you do this for? Be honest. If there's any vague holes, it doesn't count.

For the record, Aussie Golfer can recall 10 full courses. Nine in Oz, one in the US.

P.S. You don't have to have played the course!

Robert Allenby on The Golf Show

A nice interview with Robert Allenby on Augusta, the passing of his mother and a whole range of topics. He's made his last 27 cuts! Courtesy of The Golf Show on FoxSports.

iPhone Golf Wallpaper

iPhone golf wallpaper imaged and created by Aussie Golfer.
Click on the image, right click - "Save As" and save to your iPhone photos folder.

Tuesday Golf Trivia #4

Tuesday = Golf Trivia.

1. Which Australian golfer finished second to Ian Baker-Finch when he won the 1991 British Open?
   
2. Which Australian golfer played in the final pairing of the 1999 British Open along side Jean Van De Velde?
3. Can you lose your ball in GUR?
   
4. Which two golfers have lost a playoff in each of the 4 majors?
5. What golf course is pictured below? (click on it to enlarge)
   

Answers

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

Local Golfing Legends: The Dish

Golf was the furthest thing from Neil "The Dish" Petrie's mind a few years ago and he could be found on his farm tending to the grapes for the next batch of wine. Golf was something his good mate Alf played but after much
persuasion, Alf "The Butler" Sturnieks managed to get Neil on the golf course.

Neil only played a few rounds before he was hooked. It was like a box of Pringles from then on. On the few occasions Aussie Golfer played at Werribee Park Golf Club, Neil was on course perfecting the game in preparation for the Saturday competition.

The relationship between Neil's handicap and the golf conversations at home soon became an inverse one. The handicap dropped and his wife Sue possibly knows his game better than anyone. He had good rounds like any golfer but early last year he won the Monthly Medal. It was something his mate Alf had done previously. It is a prestigious honour at any golf club and quite an achievement for The Dish considering he'd only taken up the game a few years earlier.

A few months after the win, his good mate Alf suddenly passed away which left a gaping hole in the lives of many people. Neil decided he'd build a memorial to his mate who'd introduced him to the game in the form of a shelter on the 15th tee. The plans for the shelter were passed by the club committee and with the help of a few other members, The Butler's Hut was built over the course of two weekends late last year. It can be seen from the Werribee Park clubhouse and many golfers will be thankful throughout the years to come.

Werribee Park Golf Club hold an annual Medal of Medals championship involving the winners from the previous years' monthly medals. Two weeks ago in tough, windy conditions Neil managed a superb nett 72 to win an emotional event and added another trophy to his cabinet. No doubt he can build himself a bigger one if need be.

Neil is sure Alf was with him during the round and I asked The Dish if he sits down in The Butler's Hut when he reaches the 15th tee:

"Every time. Every time".

Tiger and the money

The roots of Australian Golf have been shaken. Old timers are pulling up their knee length socks and sifting through their old Dunlop 65's. Young punks have swapped the surfboard for a set of sticks and even your average sports fan is probably aware of the situation. In fact, Australian Brian Eno fans have even heard the news. Tiger Woods is coming to Australia.

Woods hasn't been here for 10 years and he's coming again to play in the Australian Masters, at a price. A $3 million price to be exact. Debate rages over this decision by the Victorian government and Aussie Golfer can't see this dying down for some time. Tiger Woods will be quizzed on this relentlessly when he arrives. The Australian media and public aren't nearly as pandering when it comes to this sort of rapaciousness as in other parts of the globe. He's succesful too of course so beware. If you aren't aware of Australia's love with the Tall Poppy Syndrome, I suggest you click the link and get acquainted.

If you allow me to continue, I just have a few things to say on all this.

The Money
I'd love to see Tiger play and will do what I can in order to see him in Melbourne but the appearance fee is exorbitant. It's nigh on ridiculous and it's hard for any golf lover, let alone a State Government to justify this spending even though he is arguably the greatest golfer ever.

But from a golf point of view, think about this. What would happen if we took the $3 million from Tiger paws and put it into the winning purse raising it from $275,000 to $3.275 million. Maybe add it to the total prize money. Who this would attract? More Top 10 players? Could we get 5 0r 6 Porsche's rather than one Rolls Royce? We'll have a few Australian made Porsche's playing here already.

State v State
This whole State versus State mentality in Australian golf has to stop right now. Leave it to the other sports. The NSW Premier Nathan Rees's comments on the issue and his preference to Brian Eno is stupid. I don't care if he does prefer Eno. The Joshua Tree was brilliant but turning this into a public slanging match doesn't help one bit. Victorian Premier John Brumby's choice of words aren't much better.

Why is this even a State thing anyway? I'm completely confused and infuriated that the three States that hold Australia's major golf tournaments in NSW, Victoria and Queensland can't work together to get big names for all tournaments. Golf Australia has a lot to answer for here but I assume it's all a money thing. The States have the money and therefore, they do the talking.

Tiger in Melbourne, great.
Tiger in Australia, even better.

Golf Trivia Answers #3

Here's the answers to the golf trivia questions Aussie Golfer asked last Tuesday.

1. What golf company made the first metal woods?
   TaylorMade
   
2. Who captained the Internationals when the President's Cup was held in Melbourne in 1998?
   Peter Thomson
   
3. What distance in club lengths can you tee off behind the markers?
   2 clubs
   
4. Which former Australian prime minister had handsome young sailors in tight fitting pants caddy for him on the golf course?
   William McMahon (In office: 10 March 1971 – 5 December 1972)
5. On what Australian golf course was the picture below taken?
   Narooma Golf Club, NSW. Currently #68 on the Top 100 Golf Courses list by Golf Digest.
   

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

Peter Thomson on Tiger Down Under

Peter Thomson has commented on Tiger's appearance and it's affect on local golf:

"In my view it's going to do a lot of damage to our national Open which comes two weeks after this one in Melbourne," he said.

"The Australian Open is our national championship, it is the most important event that we have.

"He won't be playing in that but that sucks up all the potential sponsorship."

Tiger to play in Australia again

Melbourne has won out over Sydney in luring Tiger Woods to play in Australia. He will compete in the Australian Masters in November at the Kingston Heath Golf Club. The last time Tiger played in Australia was also in Melbourne over ten years ago at the President's Cup.

The fee to get Tiger to play is about $3million, which is 10 times greater than the tournament's $270,000 first prize. The Victorian government and sponsors will pay the fee. The Australian has reported that Victorian Premier John Brumby played a hand in securing the great feline;

A personal letter from Brumby, delivered to Woods at last year's British Open, is understood to have helped convince Woods to choose Melbourne, where he has played twice before. "

Hang on? Last year's British Open? Tiger didn't win it so chances are he wasn't even there.

It's a pity it comes down to money and it would be nice if he could play the "John Daly Australian Swing" (JDAS) by playing the Australian PGA and the Australian Open as well. Having said that it's exactly what golf in Australia needs.

We should all be wary of the let down factor once Tiger leaves which was nicely summed up by Stuart Appleby last year; "We don't want to have a date with a supermodel and all of a sudden you're going out with someone else who's not so beautiful." Let's hope golf officials in Australia recognise this and use this coming interest in golf to enhance the Australian game.

In the meantime, let's hope Eldrick's knee holds up!

The search for Stephen Leaney

On June 15, 2003, Stephen Leaney was in the final pairing of the US Open, three shots behind Jim Furyk. He played superb golf all week but couldn't quite grab enough birdies at the brutal Olympia Fields and finished second to Furyk. Early 2004 saw him finish 4th at the World Golf Matchplay event and it appeared Leaney was on his way to big things.

He earned over a million dollars on Tour in 2004 and 2007 but things began to unravel in early 2008 when he began experiencing dizzy spells. The problem was soon diagnosed as an inner ear infection which affected his vestibular system and he hasn't played on the US Tour itself.

It got Aussie Golfer thinking about exemptions on the professional golf tours and in particular Leaney's situation with the PGA Tour. A bit of digging and a friendly email response from the good folk over at the PGA Tour led me to the PGA Tour exemptions page. It lists every type of exemption (no golf blogger one unfortunately) and there under "Major Medical Extension" is Stephen Leaney's name.

I've been digging about for a few months now trying to find out what he has planned for 2009. He's popped up in a few Australasian events and played the Nationwide event at Moonah Links which saw him finish respectably after a shocking first round. Every lead for further information though was a dead end.

Just as I was about to do something drastic, the name "Stephen Leaney" appears in the field for this week's PGA Tour event at the Transition Championship in Florida. An aptly named event for Leaney who will aiming to move back to the big tour where he once belonged. After a pretty rough time, I hope he does well.

And Stephen, if you're reading this, drop me an email and let me know what's in store.

Australia adopts US course rating system

And it's about bloody time too!

At long last Golf Australia has decided to implement the US course rating system which will come into effect for every golf course in Australia as soon as it has been re-rated.

Aussie Golfer has been pushing for this to happen for a long time. The current system is antiquated and Australia sits behind the rest of the world in this regard. This change also paves the way for a much better club competition and handicapping system.

Under the current system if a player has a handicap earned on difficult course, he (or she) will have an advantage when he competes against a player who carries the same handicap on an easier course. Under the new system, a golfer will consult a chart before play, to determine his handicap before a round at a different course.

The re-ratings will begin in September 2009 with the majority of all metropolitan courses completed by the end of 2010. In the article on the Golf Australia website where the announcement was made, Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said:

“The USGA Course Rating System is considered world’s best practice and is the result of significant financial and scientific investment. It is exciting that all Australian clubs and handicap players will now be exposed to the benefits experienced by most golfers around the world.”

There has been a lot of resentment towards this change from many golfers and I believe it's due to a couple of reasons. The first is they don't understand the US slope system. It's not claiming to be any easier to understand than the current system but once you've read the details, it becomes obvious that it is the way to go. The second comes from the fact that it is branded the "US system". This is indeed correct and is a perfect name for the system but it unfortunately then inherits some anti-American feelings with it.

Chin up Australian golfers! We can now express our handicap with pride! I look forward to a change in the handicapping system itself (such as being allowed to contribute a card for handicapping purposes outside of a competition - provided a member is marking it) in the coming months. Good times.

I will now delete the posts I had ready to publish entitled: "Why Australia should adopt the US golf course rating system?" and perhaps write a few outlining what is in store for us all.

Related articles
New handicapping set for Australian golf
Australian handicapping changes
Australia adopts US course rating system
Reasons for Australia's new course ratings
Golf handicapping: What's with the 0.96?
New handicap system: how does it work?

Tuesday Golf Trivia #3

It's Tuesday. It's golf trivia day at Aussie Golfer.
(If anyone would like to contribute their own, please send them in! I'm happy to credit any Aussie Golfer readers with their own smoking hot golf quiz)

1. What golf company made the first metal woods?
2. Who captained the Internationals when the President's Cup was held in Melbourne in 1998?
   
3. What distance in club lengths can you tee off behind the markers?
4. Which former Australian prime minister had handsome young sailors in tight fitting pants caddy for him on the golf course?
   
5. On what Australian golf course was the picture below taken?

Answers

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

In case you missed it...

A few snippets from the weekend's tournaments including a near naked golfer.

• The Big Philly Cheese steak won the CA Championship. Phil Mickelson is now very close overtaking Tiger as the number one player in golf. The Aussies didn't fare very well. Australian Masters Champion, Rod Pampling was the highlight finishing in the Top 10 while Robert Allenby is slowly finding some form.
  
  
• Aaron Baddeley was disqualified from the WGC tournament. On the 3rd hole during his third round, he asked a rules official if he could move a stone in the hazard near his ball. Most of us know the answer. No. He proceeded to play and six holes later realised that he had moved a stone in the same hazard the day before. As this occurred in a previous round he'd signed an incorrect score card and disqualified himself. It was very honest of him to do so and Aaron said he couldn't live with himself if he had continued. What was he thinking for six holes between the 3rd and the 9th?
  
  
• Henrik Stenson has made world headlines by all but stripping naked to play a shot from a muddy lie during his first round on Friday. Wearing nothing but a glove and his jocks he took on the muddy lie and made bogey. He's copped a lot from everyone including fellow professionals for this daring golf shot but I think it's something can all learn from. [More pics of the near naked Swede]
  
  
• Jason Day almost pulled off a debut win on the PGA Tour at the Peurto Rico Open while the big cats were away at the CA Championship. He had a great week though and it's only a matter of time for him. Greg Chalmers bagged a hole in one on his way to a Top 5 finish.

Image courtesy of Getty Images

Golf Trivia Answers #2

Aussie Golfer asked some golf questions on Tuesday. Here are the answers.

1. In the movie Tin Cup, how many times did Kevin Costner's character hit the ball in the water?
   12. Most played by Kevin Costner himself.
   
2. Including the Old Course, how many golf courses are on the St.Andrews links site?
   7. The Old, the New (the borrowed and the blue don't exist), Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgove and the Castle courses.
3. What Australian golf course is the only one in the world to hold reciprocal rights with St.Andrews?
   Coober Pedy Golf Course, SA
4. Who was the first woman to play on the Champions Tour?
   Jan Stephenson
   
5. In millimetres, how wide is the golf hole?
   108mm

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

An Organic Golf Course

Kabi Golf Course is located on the Sunshine Coast, not far from Noosa and is one of the very few organic golf courses in Australia, if not the world. What does this even mean?

According to the Kabi Golf Course website:

"Kabi Golf Course's objective is to become a totally self-sufficient facility. This includes, beef, chicken and all fruit, herbs etc to be used in our kitchen menu. The entire property is maintained organically without the use of any synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or any other chemicals that are traditional ones used on golf courses and orchards.

The golf course and orchard are BFA {Biological Farmers Association} certified. Kabi is the only golf course in the Australia that is currently certified by the BFA. Research has shown us that Kabi is potentially the only golf course in the southern hemisphere if not the world that is certified organic body that is answerable to a government body."

This is really cool. The entire site is aiming to be totally self-sufficient compost toilets for re-using waste, cattle and chickens, fruit trees and a whole range of abundant local wildlife too. They also have a golf course! Two of them to be exact. An 18 hole par-3 course and a full length nine hole course (The Orchard Nine). There's been a lot of talk about what a golf course of the future might look like, this may well be it.

CA Championship TV Coverage

Aussie Golfer apologises to those of you who are have trouble getting Channel 10 HD, but that's where the golf is again this week. I will attempt to accommodate as many people at Aussie Golfer HQ as possible.

Fri: 6 - 10am (7:15pm - 11:05pm replay)
Sat: 6 - 10am (6:30pm - 10:20pm replay)
Sun: 6 - 10am (6:30pm - 10:20pm replay)
Mon: 6 - 11am (4:30pm - 10:20pm replay)

Can Ogilvy win again?

It only seemed like yesterday when Geoff Ogilvy won the World Golf Matchplay Championship. We didn't have to wait long for another World (but only played in the US) Golf Championship. This time it's in the form of the CA Championship. A stroke event and Geoff Ogilvy is the defending champion.

Ogilvy won this event last year in a pink shirt. He edged out Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk with only one bogey all week. He ended a Tiger streak in the process but he's still second in the betting, with Sportsbet quoting him at $13. A long way behind Tiger at $4.

We shouldn't discount Robert Allenby this week either. Since his return to golf after the passing of his mother, Allenby has had some impressive results despite some errant golf. His putting was a shambles last week and if he can master the short stick, he may well be on track for his first win on the PGA Tour since 2001. He handed out 50 tickets to friends and family last weekend and had a host of people around at his home in Florida to keep his mind occupied during this rough time.

I'd love to see Ogilvy win again but it would be fitting to see Allenby come out in front.

Jack Nicklaus on email

Jack Nicklaus was interviewed over at Golf Digest and I found this response hilarious.

Do you get e-mail?
No. I would never do that. Everybody I see with e-mail is a slave to it. I've got a secretary for that. They can e-mail her and she can get everything she wants right to me.

I need a secretary.

Tuesday Golf Trivia #2

It's Tuesday. A day with no feel whatsoever, unless you read Aussie Golfer. It golf trivia day and it feels great.

1. In the movie Tin Cup, how many times did Kevin Costner's character hit the ball in the water?
2. Including the Old Course, how many golf courses are on the site of St.Andrews links?
3. What Australian golf course is the only one in the world to hold reciprocal rights with St.Andrews?
4. Who was the first woman to play on the Champions Tour?
   
5. In millimetres, how wide is a golf hole?

Answers

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

Golftec Indoor Golf

Would you like to play St. Andrews? Would you like to play it with your best mates? You can do it now at Golftec indoor golf centre in Melbourne and they are currently offering a few discounts, one exclusive to Aussie Golfer readers.

Golftec has a load of driving range simulators where you can play a full round of golf on a host of different courses with your mates. You can use the ranges to practice your swing or book a lesson with a professional.

Currently, the guys at Golftec are offering some nice little discounts. By clicking here you can download a voucher for yourself and three mates to try out the simulators for an hour for $20 each. The regular price is $16 per half hour before 5 pm and $19 per half hour after 5 pm.

For Aussie Golfer readers only; book a 30 minute lesson for $55 and get 1 hour play or practice on a full swing hi-tec simulator for FREE (a saving of $20). Call Golftec on 03 9421 2049 and mention "Aussie Golfer".

Aussie Golfer hasn't tried out Golftec yet but it does look pretty cool. I would be keen to hear from any readers who have.

Golf Trivia answers #1

On Tuesday Aussie Golfer ran off a few golf trivia questions, here's the answers.

1. When Greg Norman collapsed in the final round of the US Masters in 1996, Nick Faldo ended up winning by 5 shots. Norman finished 2nd but who finished 3rd?
   Mr. Man boobs himself, Phil Mickelson.
   
   
2. Who was Gary Player referring to when he said: "The way you hit the ball, you're wasting your time playing cricket."?
   Ricky Ponting
   
   
3. Australia has had two winners of World Golf Championship events, who are they?
   Geoff Ogilvy ('06 Matchplay, '08 Championship) and Craig Parry ('02 Invitational)
   
   
4. What is Chevy Chase's charcter name in Caddyshack?
   Ty Webb
   
   
5. What is the name of the late Kerry Packer's private golf course, designed by Greg Norman and voted number 4 in Golf Digest's Top 100 Australian courses?
   Ellerston

Previous Golf Trivia Quizzes
Golf Trivia #1
Golf Trivia #2
Golf Trivia #3
Golf Trivia #4
Golf Trivia #5
Golf Trivia #6
Golf Course Quiz

Sport & Style: Geoff Ogilvy

Sport & Style is a new sports magazine that has just been released in Australia through the Fairfax newspapers aiming at your more sophisticated Australian sportsfan. That may sound like an oxymoron but the magazine looks cool enough. Based on international magazines of the same name it's a cross between GQ and Sports Illustrated.

Aussie Golfer figured golf must feature in among this plethora of sport sophistication and flicked through. I was happy to see Kabaddi get a mention in the first few pages but the only golf that featured this month was a short Question and Answer session with Geoff Ogilvy.

I won't relay all thirteen questions in order to keep Sport & Style happy but I'll provide a sneak peek, including question 11 which was the first dodgy thing I've read about Ogilvy. The Alchemist is perhaps insightful, provokes deep thought and inspires us to do great things. Fluff.

7. Favourite golf hole? The 13th at Augusta - it's a perfect par five.
11. Favourite book? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
13. Sydney or Melbourne? I would have thought that was obvious... I'm a Melbourne boy, so it has to be my favourite.

Tiger's Return Nike Ad

Here's the latest advertisement from Nike with their take on Tiger's return to golf. The only issue I have with it is that Tiger was playing when Trevor Immelman won the Masters last year. Good ad though, they know how to make them.

The New Putter Theory

Geoff Ogilvy is the talk of the golf world at the moment and he's got this theory on changing putters that was mentioned in an article by David Dusek at The Shop Blog on Golf.com yesterday.

I've never heard this theory before and if it's true, many bad golfers who change putters all the time should be armed with this information. Especially coming from the best golfer to come out of Australia since Greg Norman.

In Ogilvy's mind, putting with a slightly different flat stick is a way to stay enthusiastic. He is a believer in the "new putter theory" — everyone putts great with a new putter.

"Your central nervous system enjoys change," he told me. "The new putter theory is not BS, that's a fact and it works for everyone. So sometimes if my putting feels a bit flat, I'll change putters, but it's not like I'm completely changing putters. I just want to look at something new, something fresh. People might think you are just trying to escape all the bad karma in your other putter, but your brain likes change and it gets you excited about putting again."

Tuesday Golf Trivia #1

Today Aussie Golfer feeds you golfing nutbags some brain jiggling golf trivia.

We have five questions today but much like Mark Hensby's game, its form will vary for future Tuesday Golf Trivia. Answer them in your golfing brain or in the comments section if you'd like. Pass them onto other golf heads if you feel like showing off your golfing knowledge, just treat 'em with respect.

Here we go...

1. When Greg Norman collapsed in the final round of the US Masters in 1996, Nick Faldo ended up winning by 5 shots. Norman finished 2nd but who finished 3rd?
2. Who was Gary Player referring to when he said: "The way you hit the ball, you're wasting your time playing cricket"?
3. Australia has had two winners of World Golf Championship events, who are they?
4. What is Chevy Chase's character name in Caddyshack?
5. What is the name of the late Kerry Packer's private golf course, designed by Greg Norman and voted number 4 in Golf Digest's Top 100 Australian courses?

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Ogilvy wins third World Golf Championship

If the circumstances of Geoff Ogilvy's US Open victory in 2006 is still up for debate by some people, he is fast knocking over these doubters by winning his third World Golf Championship. He beat Paul Casey 4 and 2 today in a match he never really looked like losing.

He's arguably the hottest golfer on the planet at the moment and his form with the putter today was phenomenal. The Sydney Morning Herald has a wrap-up and so too does the PGA Tour of course.

Ogilvy has moved to number 4 in the world and is the title holder at the next WGC Championship to be held at Doral later this month.

Great work Geoff!

*Photo Getty Images

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WGC Final: The Ashes
Australians at the Majors: The Best Golfers
Ogilvy wins 2008 CA Championship

WGC Final: The Ashes

An Englishman and an Australian are in the final of the Accenture World Matchplay Championship. Paul Casey and Geoff Ogilvy have reached the final and and according to many websites the tournament has run its course in the United States ever since Tiger and Phil were rudely knocked out and the dominance of players from the other parts of the world coninued. Aussie Golfer proposes we move the final.

Let's move the final to somewhere it will be appreciated and where some spectators will turn up. As it's an England v Australia match-up, maybe we run it as a series of finals like that other international event, the World Series.

It can be similar to The Ashes, best of five matches. The first two can be Monday and Tuesday at Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath and the last three can be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Wentworth, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham. We'll burn the flagsticks, put them in a little cup and give it to the winner.

I don't event think we have to ask PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem or anyone for that matter. Apparently no one is watching anyway.