2011 PGA Tour: Shots of the year, best of the rest

Yesterday, we posted the PGA Tour's best shots of 2011 but they've also assembled a video of the best-of-the-rest shots, that were probably just a good, but didn't make the cut.

Because the PGA Tour is awesome, we can show you the video below here on Aussie Golfer. I urge you to check out many, many more great videos over at the PGA Tour website, including tips, highlights and tour news.

Because the European Tour website is not as awesome, we can't share the video of their best shots of the year here. You can click this link to see it though if you want to.

2011 PGA Tour: Top-10 shots of the year

Mistakes you make while practising

I loved this article from golf guru Steve Bann whose students have included Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby among many others.

It begins with a little story about the trials of Bann during his professional playing days, and moves on to tell us the Top-10 mistakes you make when practising.

Most golfers in the world would love to take their practice game on to the course, but for some reason this very rarely happens. As a result I have identified ten problems that my training methods now target to taking your practice game to the course and playing well under competition pressure.

Everyone should check out while you have time to practice (or play) this week.

2011 PGA Tour: Video bloopers

Here are a selection of bloopers from the 2011 PGA Tour season as put together by the PGA Tour.

Some fun stuff in here and it is comforting to see that from time to time, the best golfers in the world can play a few shots just like you and me.

Merry Christmas from Aussie Golfer

Aussie Golfer would like to wish all readers a very Merry Christmas and extend out thanks for being a part of the fun in 2011. We appreciate everyone's input and feedback, positive or negative, and hope the site is becoming what you want it to be.

Aussie Golfer has had a very successful year. We were a part of the working media at the Presidents Cup and Australian Open; and also a becoming regular feature of Australia's top golf magazine, Inside Golf.

Callaway bringing sexy back, Timberlake on board

Callaway is looking to bring sexy back, by appointing Justin Timberlake as Creative Director.

Justin Timberlake is a golf nut. He has his own golf course, his own tournament, and now he is the Creative Director at Callaway Golf. Timberlake will lend his creative experience to Callaway's marketing and advertising arms.

"It’s always great when professional projects surround subjects that I am passionate about, and the sport of golf and my work with Callaway definitely fit that criteria," said Timberlake.

"I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective to this category -- focusing on the social aspects, fun and lifestyle associated with Callaway and playing golf."

Australia's best golf courses in tourism push

The past few months in Australian golf have been the biggest for many decades and a few things may have been missed in during the maelstrom, including this lunch of a new golf tourism initiative.

Great Golf Courses of Australia has been launched to promote our greatest golf courses to the world. It is a collaboration between Tourism Australia, the State Toursim Offices as well as PGA of Australia looking to spark golf tourism in the Australian economy. The partnership has been launched to promote Australia as one of the world's best golf destinations.

John Daly does Knockin' on Heaven's Door

The guy that ran out of balls has taken up the guitar.

John Daly left Australia in a huff. He knocked all his balls in the lake during The Australian Open and headed for South-East Asia. He played in last week's Thailand Open and finished a respectable 16th after placing for second for much of the tournament.

Daly was never going to catch the red-hot Lee Westwood won by seven shots from Charl Schwartzel. So rather than take the limelight on the course, he took the limelight off the course when he took out his guitar to do a version of one of the most covered songs in history, Kockin' On Heaven's Door. 

He's American too, in case you were wondering.

H/T WeiUnderPar

2011 Australian Masters: Final round highlights

Courtesy of FoxSports.

2011 Australian Masters: Geoff Ogilvy post-round interview

2011 Australian Masters: Ian Poulter post-round interview video

Equmen undershirt winners announced!

Aussie Golfer and Equmen are pleased to announce the winners of the Equmen Core Precision undershirt giveaway.

The winners are... 
Paul Brown 
and 
Jason Holmes!

An Equmen Core Precision undershirt will be coming your way!

If you weren't lucky this time, the Equmen range is available at stores across Australia. Check out the website for stores near you.

Jason Holmes and Paul Brown's names were drawn from a large number of entries we received. On behalf of  Equmen and Aussie Golfer, congratulations and thanks to everyone for entering. 

Video: Sergio Garcia ditches iron into lake

Sergio Garcia loses his cool with a non-behaving iron.

There is a bit going on at the Thailand Golf Championship already this week.

Firstly, Lee Westwood shot an opening round 12-under par 60. After being 7-under through seven holes, everyone, including Westwood began to wonder if a 59 was on the cards. 

Secondly, Westwood obviously leads the event but it's John Daly in second place!

Lastly, in a fit of anger more closely associated with John Daly, Sergio Garcia dealt with a pesky golf club the best way possible. He threw it into the lake following and errant tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole.

Tip o' the hat to the lads at Devil Ball Golf for this one.

Poulter here to win, for a much bigger paycheck

Poulter gives us a peek into how the best golfers earn their keep.

Before the Australian Masters began, Ian Poulter said that if he wins, he will rise from 28th to 17th in the world golf rankings, thanks largely to world number one Luke Donald being in the field.

For anyone under the illusion that the world golf rankings don't mean much to golfers, it was a strangely precise response from Poulter and he was quizzed on it further following his 6-under par opening round that sees him leading the tournament.

Video: Ian Poulter first round interview

Poulter leads the way at the JBWere 2011 Australian Masters.

The leader of the 2011 Australian Masters after round one is an Englishman. But perhaps not the one we were expecting. The always extravagant Ian Poulter leads the way after firing an opening round 6-under par, 65. 

After only one look at the Victoria golf course, it's a great start, made even more impressive when you consider the poor year Poulter has had. Here's the video of his post-round interview today.

Video: Ian Poulter Interview

Ian Poulter is in the field at this week's JBWere Australian Masters. Here is the video from his press conference held this afternoon at Victoria Golf Club.

2011 JBWere Australian Masters Round 1 draw

The draw for round 1 of the 2011 JBWere Australian Masters has been released.

You'll have to get out to Victoria golf Club early if you want to see world number one Luke Donald tomorrow. He's teeing off with Geoff Ogilvy and Marcus Fraser at 7:58pm.

Video: Luke Donald interview this morning

Luke Donald arrived in Australia yesterday to play the JBWere Australian Masters, and was on course at Victoria Golf Club this morning for he pre-tournament press conference. Here it is in full:

Luke Donald's year, by the numbers

Luke Donald has produced one of the most consistent golf year's in history.

World number one golfer Luke Donald is in Australia for the first time and has had one of the most consistent year's of golf in the history of the game. He started the year with a win at the WGC Matchplay Championship, won on PGA Tour late in the season and finished with the European Tour Race to Dubai trophy.

He finished as the number one player on both the US PGA Tour and the European Tour for the first time in history massing more than $13million along the way.

If you need any incentive to get down to Victoria Golf Club this week for the JBWere Australian Masters, it's worth taking a look at Luke Donald's impressive year.

Combined European and US PGA Tour stats:

Events: 25

Wins: 3

Runner-up: 3

Top-10's: 11

Top-25's: 22

Prize Money: AU$13.529 million

Stroke Avg: European Tour 69.12  US PGA Tour 69.30

JBWere Australian Masters Pro-Am draw and times

The pro-am draw and tee times for the 2011 JBWere Australian Masters have been released in case you're thinking of getting down to Victoria Golf club tomorrow.

It's often a good way to get much closer to the golfers (and amateurs) than at the tournament days and at a pretty decent price. $30 will get you into the pro-am day tomorrow and there's always plenty going on around the practice fairway and putting green.

2011 JBWere Australian Masters Pro-Am - morning session
2011 JBWere Australian Masters Pro-Am - afternoon session

Australian Masters bounces back after rejection

Luke Donald

In the face of rejection, the Australian Masters has once again produced a world class field.

When Golf Australia announced that the Australian Open would precede the Presidents Cup was going to be the Australian Open in Sydney, one could have forgiven tournament organisers of the JBWere Australian Masters to be a little, well, annoyed.

Instead of complaining and throw an almighty dummy-spit, JBWere Masters organisers just went and found a date that worked around the other events, and went got the world's best golfer to come and play.

"Unravelling the mystery of Allenby is not easy"

In the dawn of Australian Masters week, I had to pass on to wonderful pieces that appeared in the weekend newspapers.

The first was by Brent Read concerning the two faces to Robert Allenby in The Weekend Australian. There is probably no more generous, more charitable Australian golfer than Robert Allenby, but he's also the most disliked.

Unravelling the mystery of Allenby is not easy. He can be charming one minute, condescending the next. He ranks among the most successful, yet least popular, athletes in Australia. Rightly or wrongly, he has a reputation for being thin-skinned with a penchant for finding excuses and blaming others, a powderkeg who is overly sensitive to criticism and ungracious in defeat.

The second by The Age's Martin Blake concerns the curious case of the world's number one golfer Luke Donald. Our most high-profile visitor this week at the JBWere Australian Masters.

Yet Donald, who turned 34 during the week, has not been fully embraced by the golfing world, even in his native Britain. As for Australians, we are about to find out how he affects the radar, for the Englishman is due to play in this country for the first time. 

In some ways the public's ambivalence to Donald is understandable. Though his swing is picture-perfect and graceful, he is not a long hitter; in fact, the strength of his game is around the greens. He is arguably the best putter on the planet, but who pays money at the gate to watch someone putt?

Click the links and read 'em. 

Befriending Lost Farm

Once found, you'll never forget golf at Barnbougle Lost Farm. 

The flight to Launceston was uneventful but after a wrong turn on my way to Bridport that led to encounters with every native species of Tasmanian fauna, I realised this would be no ordinary golf weekend away.

I was on my own. My golfing buddy had pulled out of the trip because his twin boys had arrived 10 weeks early*. It is amazing what lengths some people will go to avoid playing golf with me, but to miss playing two of the most hyped golf courses in Australia was unforgivable.

Video: Geoff Ogilvy interview ahead of Australian Masters

Get the full, big moustached effect of Geoff Ogilvy's press conference today at Victoria Golf Course ahead of this week's JBWere Australian Masters.

Donald makes history, then flies to Australia

The final round action on the European Tour's Race to Dubai belied the boring course design. It was interesting and captivating in contrast.

Luke Donald made golf history yesterday by becoming the first golfer to capture the European and US Tour money titles in the same year.

Spain's Alvaro Quiros won in Dubai for the second time this year with a massive eagle putt on the last hole which snuffed out any chance of victory that Paul Lawrie may have been contemplating. But a third place finish to Donald secured the European money list title with a fantastic putting display that we've come to expect from Englishman.

The world number one golfer has had a remarkable year and earning around $13.5 million dollars on both tours in prize money. And that doesn't include the prize winners cheque, and appearance money for this week's JBWere Australian Masters in Melbourne, where he will be making his first appearance on Australian soil.

JBWere Australian Masters on TV

TV Times and broadcast networks for the Australian JBWere Masters at Victoria Golf Club, Melbourne.

Channel Nine and FoxSports will be showing most of the Australian Masters from Victoria Golf club in Melbourne's sandbelt region this week.

FoxSports3 TV times

Thursday December 15, 12:30pm - 5.30pm

Friday December 16, 12:30pm - 5.30pm

Saturday December 17, 12:30pm - 5.30pm

Sunday December 18, 12:30pm - 5.30pm

Channel Nine TV times

Saturday December 17, 12:30pm - 5.30pm

Sunday December 18, 12:00pm - 5.00pm

FoxSports are live streaming the action from the 14th hole all day Thursday and Friday.

If I come across an official live stream I'll let you know, probably via Twitter first.

Welcome to Australian Masters week

The Australian Masters is back at Victoria Golf Club this week with plenty of players aiming to finish the year on a high.

Golf mania returns to Melbourne this week, and while it may not be as big as the Presidents Cup, the Australian JBWere Masters organisers have assembled a fine field of golfers which include the world's number one golfer, Luke Donald.

In the field with Donald is fellow Englishman Ian Poulter, as well as young Italian golf star Matteo Manaserro, who at only 18 years of age is considered the next big thing to come out of European golf.

Six rules of Christmas golf

Rules to abide by when it comes to golf at Christmas.

I've been writing for Inside Golf magazine over the past few months and the December edition features my latest article, "Six Rules of Christmas golf", which you can read below.

I've previously mentioned Inside Golf and I've been lucky enough to recently be a part of the monthly publication.

Inside Golf can be read online (like below) but also look out for it at your local golf club or golf store and have a read.

Equmen undershirt giveaway!

Thanks to Equmen, we have two Core Precision Undershirts to give away valued at $99 each!

Equmen have presented Aussie Golfer with two Core Precision Undershirts to give away to lucky readers. The shirts are the singlet variety like the one I reviewed last week on the website - Undershirt range give you that Luke Donald look.

When I reviewed the product it was the first time I'd worn anything like this. I've since worn it on the golf course twice and I feel like it is giving me great cues for my posture as I step over the golf ball.

You can check out more details on the shirts we're giving away at the 
Equmen website.

---

How to enter (Open to Australian residents only)

Simply subscribe to Aussie Golfer email updates!
OR, If you're already a subscriber, just email Aussie Golfer with the phrase "I want an Equmen Undershirt!".

Entries close on Friday December 16, 5pm (AEST). The winner will be randomly drawn from all entries, and will be announced here at Aussie Golfer on Saturday December 17, 2011.

Good luck!

Australia's best online golf stores

With Christmas fast approaching, here is a guide to some of the best Australia online golf stores.

Online golf stores have been slow off the mark in Australia. Fake golf equipment and personal fitting have probably held the online convenience back, but many Aussie golfer's are making more and more purchases online, as the number of online golf stores show.

Aside from the big name golf stores (which also have been very slow to embrace online shopping), a number of reputable golf store websites have popped up that sell many of the big name golf brands at good prices that can be purchased from the comfort of your office desk chair. All, as far as we can tell, stocking genuine OEM golf equipment.

TaylorMade were almost part of the scam

The snake oil that is the power balance, ion band, magnetic wristband nonsense permeates into golf gloves.

Regular readers will know our distaste for the baloney that is power balance wristbands. They come in different shapes and colours, some go around your neck and make devious claims that include improving ion flow, increasing power and improving balance. All of them adhere to the same sophistry mould.

After a lot of pressure by Australian consumers and an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the company was forced to admit the wristbands had no credible scientific basis for some of the ludicrous claims they were making. The company was forced to close its doors in Australia.

Perth to host $2million golf tournament

WA is back on the big golf tournament map.

The European tour will be back in Australia in October next year after the announcement today that Lake Karrinyup Country Club will host the Perth International Golf Championship is played at from 18-21 October, 2012.

The tournament is also co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia, but owned an promoted by IMG who also own the JB Were Masters. It will feature a total prize pool of $2million, making it the richest golf tournament in Australia.

Western Australian Tourism Minister Dr Kim Hames launched the tournament today.

“We have a three-year agreement for this tournament with options to continue, and our goal is to develop the Perth International into a feature event in the Asia Pacific region that is anchored in Perth,” the Minister said.

This is great for golf in Australia of course, but also great for golf in Western Australia which has missed out on a few of the big tournaments over the last few years.

Now we just have to get South Australia back on the tournament golf schedule. It's not that much of a chore to play golf at Royal Adelaide.

Mashed Potato video mash

Earlier today we came across a few videos of people yelling out 'mashed potato!' at golf tournaments. Aussie Golfer heard of the phrase for the first time at The Australian Open in November but a quick look at YouTube reveals it has been around a while.

People have been yelling out "Mashed Potato!" for quite some time, across many tournaments, and to many different golfers. Odd as it is, here are a few of them, starting with the one from last weekend in California where it got noticed by the commentators.

No more 'Get in the hole!', now it's 'Mashed Potato!'

Fans have started yelling "Mashed Potato" when Tiger hits a golf shot.

Update: It seems the whole Mashed Potato thing has been around a while. More videos of fans yelling mashed potato are on YouTube at the Ryder Cup and a few earlier tournaments. Here are more  videos.

From the department of flash mobbing and planking comes a golf related oddity that could only happen in the age of the internet and social media.

I recall someone telling me aback at The Australian Open that they'd heard someone yell out "Mashed Potato" when Tiger Woods hit a golf shot. I'd forgotten all about it until I saw that Shane Bacon at Dogs That Chase Cars had posted a video of a golf shot Tiger played last weekend in California.

The "Mashed Potato" call has been found on YouTube where you can hear fans, (possibly the cameraman) yelling the phrase on the 18th hole at The Lakes, when Tiger Woods was at the Australian Open in November. 

From what I heard it wasn't the only place it was heard that week during Tiger's round.

Like planking, flash mobbing and a whole load of other internet memes, it's really hard to make any sort of insightful comment or make any sense of it.

Lyle and Green grab 2012 PGA Tour cards

Jarrod Lyle and Nathan Green have had a great finish to the year by securing their PGA Tour cards for 2012.

The always stressful PGA Tour Q-School is held over six rounds Jarrod Lyle finished in a tie for fifth spot, in the 160-man field. Easily finishing within the Top-25 positions needed to be handed a card.

Nathan Green will be back in the big time next year after he finished with a strong final round 6-under par to push up into 27th position. He still managed to get is card as three players above him having already earned their card for next year via the Nationwide Tour. Some golfers choose to play the Q-School event in order to become eligible for more tournaments on the PGA tour next year.

For the rest of the Aussies, it was a rough week.

A US Masters trip we can only dream about

Some of us can only dream of getting to the US Masters, while others get there in complete luxury.

We get a lot of promotional material crossing our desk at Aussie Golfer, but some things just have to be shared, even if they might be out of the reach of your average golfer.

I was sent a pdf billed as 'The Ultimate Masters Experience', which may be an understatement. This very high-end golf package from a company known as Ultimate Sports Tours has put together one of the most extraordinary golf trips I've ever seen.

Video: Tiger Woods interview after winning Chevron Challenge

Tiger Woods wins for the first time in two years

Tiger Woods gets a 'W' at the slick Chevron World Challenge.

Tiger Woods winning a golf tournament used to be passing news but after two years of personal problems and poor form, some speculated whether he would ever win again.

He won the lucrative, end-of-season, Chevron World Challenge in California this morning by makes birdies on the final two holes to edge out Zach Johnson by a shot. The event featured 18 of the best golfers from the PGA Tour with a $5 million prize purse.

"It feels awesome, whatever it is," said Woods, who hadn't won a golf tournament since the Australian Masters in November 2009. Woods is projected to move back into the world's top-30 golfers when the world rankings are re-calculated.

Woods was not at his old Tiger Woods best, but produced some fabulous shots and more importantly, sunk some big putts that reminded everyone watching, of the Tiger of old. 

It certainly adds some excitement leading into the formal 2012 PGA Tour golf season which begins in early January. One wonders whether the experts, the amateurs and the bloke in the café will re-assess their opinion on whether Tiger Woods will win another major.

Kennedy does it on his own terms and wins NZ Open

Kennedy finishes 2011 in style by winning the New Zealand Open.

Brad Kennedy wins the New Zealand Open. Getty Images

Earlier this year, Brad Kennedy spoke to Aussie Golfer about life on the Japan Tour and his good performances which earned him a spot in his first major golf tournament, The Open Championship.

There is no doubt that 2011 has been the best year of his career, after winning the New Zealand Open by beating Craig Parry in sudden-death playoff.

Kennedy was in the box seat on the sudden-death playoff hole, with the more experienced Parry finding trouble off the tee. After finding the green with his third shot, it looked like Parry may extend the tournament, but Kennedy topped off a great year by rolling in a 20-foot birdie put to add his name to a trophy alongside the likes of Bob Charles, Michael Campbell and Peter Thomson.

Aussie trick-shot golfer in the hunt at Q-School

Aussie trickster taking a shot on the big time.

The six rounds of golf that make up the PGA Tour Qualifying tournament are often described as the most nerve-racking in golf. Here, careers can be made or broken in a quest to be a part of the most lucrative tour in golf.

Craig Hocknall is one of the Australian's playing at Q-School this week who is aiming to get his card for the 2012 PGA Tour, but he is not your ordinary golfer.

Video: Mic'd up PGA Tour players

Because everything is better in video, here is a reel of the best (and worst) stuff caught on microphone when golfers on the PGA Tour were mic'd up this year.

The now infamous 16-shot hole by Kevin Na is there for all of us to see and hear, and after listening to him during the whole debacle, I'm amazed at how collected he remained. Some funny stuff here.

Video: Chalmers shoots coke cans off a fence

More golf shenanigans from a famous drink brand to lighten the week.

Last week we posted the Coke Zero promo video featuring golfers at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum. 

Here is some of the fun from a few weeks earlier at the Australian Open, where Greg Chalmers, Aaron Baddeley and others go about trying to knock coke cans off a fence.