A year in review.........2010

The LPGA 2010 season was delightful in many ways. From the changing of hands of the World's No.1 Title, to seeing new faces on the 18th green claiming trophies. The Title of World's No.1 started the season in the hands of Lorena Ochoa, who suddenly announced her retirement in May. The title then exchanged hands several times through the remainder of the season, with stops in the hands of Jiyai Shin, Cristie Kerr, and Ai Miyazato. Yani Tseng ended up with that title at the final event of the season, The LPGA Tour Championship.

Cristie Kerr became the first American to hold that title since the inception of such in 2006. Cristie Kerr has shown the world that she is worthy of the title she held at two separate times this year. I predict she will hold this again in 2011. Crisitie also held the largest landslide victory of the season with her 12 stroke win over Song-Hee Kim at the LPGA Championship presented by Wegman's. She's often spoke of the book by Joseph Parent, "Zen Golf". Cristie shows that Zen-like focus in every round she plays.

Also close but never close enough was Suzann Pettersen. I have given her the name of "The Susan Lucci of Golf". And while I don't mean that in a critical way; it merely captures the many times she was poised to win a tournament and let it slip away. She became a 2nd place finisher. Jiyai Shin held the spot for several weeks until withdrawing from the LPGA StateFarm Classic due to an emergency appendectomy. She may be small in stature however, she is always smiling and always looking to better her game in a big way. And she showed that, when she came back and re-took the title back from Ai Miyazato.

Paula Creamer made things happen, when she earned her only win this season at the Women's US Open. After suffering a thumb injury and going through the lengthy rehab, she had missed more rounds than she would have liked. Perserverance paid off.

Inspirational move of the season goes to In-Kyung Kim, who donated her entire $220,000 winner's check from the Lorena Ochoa Invitational to charity. She stated half to go to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation and the other half to a charity that was yet to be named. Lorena, who was In-Kyung's idol couldn't have been more proud.

Michelle Wie, won her 2nd career victory at the CN Canadian Women's Open with a 3 stroke win over Jiyai Shin. While only 20 y.o. at the time of her win, she has developed into a mature, well poised golfer whom I predict is just in the start of her many many wins to come! Tackling college at Stanford while playing in as many tournaments as possible, is not an easy task and I commend Michelle for how she's handled such. She is truly a remarkable athlete and I believe she's only scratched the surface of her golf career.

Now, Go Hit Some Balls..........

On the Men's side, Congrats to Graeme, Westwood & Furyk!

The picture says it all. Graeme McDowell who poured it on in his final round, was able to stay in contention after he took a penalty drop on the 18th. He managed to compose himself and still card a bogey for the hole. Woods, then made a great shot to capture a birdie and take the tourney into sudden death. Although Graeme's 2nd round with a double bogey and 3 singles left him behind, he carded a round 3 68 with only 1 bogey.

Nearly a repeat of the 18th hole in regulation, Graeme had another lengthy putt drop from about 25 yards out for a birdie on the 1st playoff hole. Woods had approx 15 feet for his shot that would extend the tourney yet again, but caught the right of the cup edge and did not drop. I was at my folks' watching the finish before I could even think of driving home. The excitement on the last 2 holes of regulation and the playoff hole was intense. I myself kept cheering for Tiger; which confused my pup (who yes, is Tiger Wood's namesake). I nearly scared my mother out of her chair with my screams, when putts would drop!

Tiger led the tourney all 3 rounds and went into the final round with a 4 shot lead. From a history standpoint, Tiger had never lost a tournament when going into the final round with at least a 3 stroke lead on Sunday. Had he not had the double bogey that allowed Graeme to close the gap, he would have won his own tourney. Tiger should indeed be proud of the way he played throughout the tourney. I for one think it is safe to say....The Tiger is back! This is just a beginning to his new start back on the course in his great form. It gave me chills to see the well known "fist pump" after his shot onto the 18th in regulation. That image was rarely witnessed this season prior to Sunday's final round. To have this momentum going into the off season is huge to say the least. It's what gets good golfers to continue during the off season and become great golfers the next. The 2011 season starts in January for the PGA, with a clean slate for the Fed-Ex Cup.

Another winner was Jim Furyk, who finished in 12th place Sunday at Even Par, was named the PGA Player of the Year on saturday winning the Jack Nicholaus Trophy. It is the 2nd consequtive year that the PGA Player Tour Player of the Year did not win a major. This, to the guy who was disqualified from the Barclays earlier this year when he overslept for the pro-am. An apparent battery death on his cell phone alarm. At that time, Furyk was 3rd in the Fed-Ex Cup standings and felt that this likely was harmful to his year and race for the Cup. Furyk's victories came at the Transitions Championship, The Heritage at Hilton Head and the Tour Championship. He himself thought there was no chance at winning the Trophy. The tour had 39 different players win in 2010, compared to 31 last season. And although there was question as to why the Tour ended the vote before the last tourney was completed,remains unknown. This is only the 4th time since '97, that Woods did not win the Jack Nicholaus Trophy and the 5th time he did not win the money title.

Lee Westwood ends his 2010 season ranked as the Worlds No. 1 Player. He sealed this deal by winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Sunday. His final round of 68 carried him on to finish with an 8 stroke win over Tim Clark. Lee ends the season on his final event. This win is his 2nd of the year, but his first since becoming World's No. 1. His earlier win of the season came in June, at the St. Jude Classic on the PGA Tour.

Lee finished 2nd at the HSBC Champions tourney and 3rd at the Dubai World Championship. Dealing with a victory at Nedbank this past weekend, is something he can surely enjoy! After a season plagued by his calf injury, he had to withdraw from the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. He played 21 events and had 12 top ten finishes this season. Well done Lee, well done!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.................

Congrats to Hjorth, Tseng, Choi & Munoz

Wow! The LPGA Tour Championship finished yesterday with Maria Hjorth emerging as the WINNER! She shot even par for the day and won the tourney at -5 overall.  She defeated Amy Yang by 1 stroke, with her birdie putt on the 18th.

Yang had also made a birdie putt to get her within contention for a playoff if Maria had missed her putt. She did not, and So Amy Yang placed 2nd at -4 followed by In-Kyung Kim and Cristie Kerr in a tie for 3rd place at -2.
Maria, who came back last year after having a child, celebrated with Emily in her arms and tears flowing on the 18th green. With the expression caught on Emily's face, it is clear she knew this was something big for Mommy!

Na Yeon Choi finished in a tie for 5th place with Laura Diaz at -1 however, she won the Vare Trophy. And Yani Tseng who finished at +5 in 21st place held on to the World's No. 1 and took home the Rolex Player of The Year Trophy. Now, she can add another Trophy to her vastly open trophy case which was previously home to Annika Sorenstam, prior to her purchase last year. Her home in Lake Nona, is still nearby to Annika's new home at Lake Nona and Yani knows she can go there with any questions or simply the inspiration she has gotten from her in the past two years since her Rookie year in 2008.

Na Yeon has had 2 wins and 16 top ten finishes this season, out of the 24 tourneys she has played. Out of 83 rounds she has played, 37 of those were in the 60's. Yani's season overview touts 3 WINS and 8 top ten finishes. She has now had 5 career victories. Out of her 68 rounds played, she's carded 25 in the 60's.

Another winner for the 2010 season, was Azahara Munoz, who won Rookie of The Year in a ceremony friday evening at Cypress Golf Club. While Azahara didn't make it to weekend play for this last tourney of the 2010 season, she felt she accomplished one of her goals; which she stated in 2008, was to get the Rookie of The Year. It was more of a dream she had had since she was a little girl just learning the game of golf. She recalled a moment in college when she was crying on the phone with her dad after not doing well in a tourney. He told her that if golfing made her cry, then she should stop. And stop she did not. That gave her the focus and the fuel to steam ahead and make her dreams a reality. She has had 22 starts this year with 3 top ten finishes. While her best finish this year was 4th, she carded 20 rounds in the 60's. She is ranked 18th in her scoring average and of course 1st in her Rookie Points at 704. We will be seeing alot more of this young lady in the coming seasons!

I would be remiss, to not mention this next lady, Cristie Kerr. While Cristie Kerr may not have won this tournament to become the first American to win the Rolex Player of the Year Trophy, she's a winner in my book! She needed the win to exceed the 6 points she was behind Yani Tseng for the title. Cristie has the panache', focus, and dedication it takes to accomplish this title and she will be moving forward into the 2011 season with that goal in mind. While already being one of the best putters on the LPGA this season, she is also one of the most determined. She doesn't walk up the fairway making small talk with her caddy or other players, she speaks of how she could have made that shot better and what her task is for her next shot. She is zen-like when she steps on the green and you can almost see the grid lines beaming from her eyes as she readies her putt. She has had 2 wins this season and 14 top ten finishes. She now has 14 career victories under her belt. She is ranked 2nd in birdies & her scoring average. Out of her 78 rounds played, 50 were under par and 31 were in the 60's. Cristie may not have won this season ending title this year however, she is still a Champion Golfer and great example to all the young girls and women of the sport! Hat's off to a great season Cristie and an even better 2011.

To see a list of the seasons winners, click on this link; LPGA .


Now, Go Hit Some Balls.......................

Who will win World's No.1 tomorrow at the LPGA Championship?

The gates will open at 8:00 a.m. in Orlando, Florida for the final tournament of the season at Grand Cypress Golf Club. The anticipation of who will be crowned worlds No. 1 is rising with each passing hour. The position, which has changed from Lorena Ochoa to Jiyai Shin, to Cristie Kerr and currently Yani Tseng. While the first round started in rather brisk temps, today was much better when the mercury hit into the 70's. This was after a frost delay this morning. We've seen players go from stocking caps to visors throughout the first and 3rd round of this week's tourney. The wind was also a factor in round one, with gusts up to 30 mph at times. Tomorrow's temperature is expected to reach 69 and holds a chance of showers. A delay or Monday finish will not bode well for those set to jump on a plane sunday evening and head to Dubai, United Arab Emirates where Michelle Wie will try and defend her title at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

Current leader Amy Yang will tee off with Maria Hjorth at 11:35 a.m. Cristie Kerr and Seon Hwa Lee will be off at 11:25, following Laura Diaz and In-Kyung Kim who tee off at 11:15 a.m. Katherine Hull who has been playing a solid tourney this week, currently sits in a tie for 6th place with Morgan Pressel and In-Kyung Kim, all remain even. Cristie Kerr is tied with Seon Hwa Lee in 3rd placce at -3, just 3 strokes off our leader Amy Yang who is at -6. Maria Hjorth is one stroke behind Amy at -5. The Susan Lucci of Golf, Suzann Pettersen currently sits in a tie for 16th place with a +3. Juli Inkster is +5 and one of my favorites, Christina Kim is at +5 going into the final round.

Amy Yang's 3rd round did not fair as well as her first two, as she carded 2 bogeys and one double bogey. She did have 3 birdies, which allowed her to finish at +1 on the day. Her first round of 67 included 4 birdies and 1 eagle. Round two brought 5 birdies and 3 bogeys. For Amy to hold off those chasing the trophy for the final tourney this season, will have to eliminate those bogeys and I anticipate need about 5 birdies to stay in contention tomorrow.

Cristie Kerr sunk 3 birdies today to counterbalance her 2 bogeys and finish -1 for the day. She's had 3 rounds of 71. I anticipate Cristie will come out firing tomorrow and have at least 4 birdies on the front 9. While known to be the best putter on the LPGA, she will need to have a hot putter tomorrow if she's going to take the title back of World's No. 1. She's hit 33 fairways this week and 34 greens, with one sand save and 83 putts.

Azahara Munoz won "rookie of the year" and was presented a trophy at last night's festivities. She however, is not seeing any weekend play and missed the cut at +10. This had been one of her dreams she said, as she choked back tears throughout her acceptance speech. Tom Abott said there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Televised coverage can be seen on Golf Channel at 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. ET

Now, Go Hit Some Balls...............

What is Power Balance?

Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body's natural energy field. It was founded by athletes and is a favorite among some of the world's most elite at that! The hologram is based off of the idea of optimizing the body's natural energy flow, which is similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body.

I first found out about Power Balance after tweets from Bill Rancic (The Apprentice winner of season 1). The list of professional athletes using and being an ambassador for Power Balance varies to nearly every sport. From Lamar Odom (Basketball), Shaq, Drew Brees (NFL), Todd Rogers (Beach Volleyball) and Rubens Barrichello (Formula One Racing).

Power Balance also believes in giving back. Their special Ovarian Cancer Research Fund silicone wristband sales, give a $15 donation from every single one sold, directly to the OCRF! 

Made of 100% surgical grade silicone, these wristbands are durable and made to last no matter what your leisure or sport involves. It has a built in stretch factor to allow getting it over your hand and then having a nice fit on your wrist. With a hologram on both sides, it looks stylish at every angle. There are many colors to choose from, with white print or black print or even white on white (which is what I sport). They are super comfortable and so lightweight that you forget you have one on. 

The latest craze of the Power Balance wristbands, is the addition of NEON ones! You can pick one for every day of the week or whatever your mood is, from traditional colors to NEON. They come in sizes from XS, S, M, L, and XL. Aside from the silicone wristbands, they also have neoprene ones that have a smooth spandex lining to allow the most comfortable fit. If you don't like wristbands, you can choose from their Zinc Alloy Pendants that feature the "flower of life" on one side and a Power Balance hologram on the other. There is also a pendant made of sterling silver, with a PB hologram on the back under a clear epoxy resin. On the front is the PB initials for a classy look. One of the latest additons is the silicone pendant. There is something for everyone! 

You can order yours online at Powerbalance.com . They are also on Facebook as well as Twitter via @powerbalance . The first 12 days of December are days of giveaways, so follow them via Twitter and you might just win your first PB wristband! I for one know that I will getting a couple of more NEON wristbands to add to my collection! When I ordered my first silicone wristband, the size was alittle big for my tiny wrist. I had a very pleasant experience with the customer service and had a speedy exchange. When companies stand behind their products, give back to a great charity/cause, and have great customer service; they're the ones who get my repeat business and Power Balance has all 3! 

Drew Brees doesn't play a game without his PowerBalance silicone wristband.  I only review the products I actually have personally and try. I now wear mine daily. Enough said! 

Now, Go Hit Some Balls..............

Woods is up by 4 strokes going into final round of Chevron World Challenge!

While the skeptics say he'll finish the season winless; I beg to differ with them. Tiger Woods is by far playing his best golf of the season and has lead all 3 rounds of the Chevron World Challenge!

What a befitting tourney to win, after the months spent trying to regain his form, focus and most of all his desire to win. Tiger knew it wouldn't be easy. Afterall, try to have your most intimate details of your marriage and your life, in the news for the world to read and judge you. I don't care how big of a celebrity you are, having those details of the most private part of your life spread thoughout the media is NOT easy for anyone! I have always felt Tiger would get his win this season and so he was my pick going into this tourney and I have faith that he will WIN it on Sunday!

Tiger started the Chevron World Challenge with a first round 65. He had 8 birdies and only 1 bogey. He followed that with a round two 66; consisting of 4 birdies and an eagle to card a bogey free round. For today's round 3, Tiger shot a 68. Although he had 2 bogeys, he also had 6 birdies to go -17 under for a 4 stroke lead.

Graeme McDowell is in 2nd place at -13, followed by Paul Casey at -9 and Luke Donald at -7. Ian Poulter is also in the top 10 at -6. And, although Ian was not happy with his play today, he's vowed to come out and finish strong tomorrow.

Jim Furyk is the defending champion of this week's tourney in Thousand Oaks, California. He finished even after round one, with 2 bogeys, 1 double bogey and 4 birdies. Round two was not any better, he had a double bogey and 1 birdie to finish at +1. Today, Furyk finished at -1 and sits in 12th place and even for the tourney.

Others to watch for on Sunday, will be Bubba Watson, who is in a tie with Anthony Kim for 14th at +2. Matt Kuchar is in 16th place, followed by Camillo Villegas. Bubba had an amazing shot in Friday's round when he shot an "albatross" or double eagle on a par 5 from 284 yards out! That truly should be the "Shot of The Year"!

Tune in tomorrow on NBC from 3:00 - 6:00 pm ET for the conclusion of the final round.

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.................

FORRRRE is the PERFECT card game for GOLFERS!

This game looks and feels like a regular deck of cards, but it's NOT. When you are caught in the coolness of off season/winter months, you can still be on the course with Forrrre!

This game has bright colors like the scenery of a well-kept golf course and can be enjoyed by all ages and all levels of golfers! You can play anywhere from 2-5 players. Developed by  Waist Deep Card Games , it can be purchased now at Amazon . This game is brand new and just recently been launched. So, I recommend you get it now while it's still in the inaugural offering.

You will come across lighting strikes, birdies, bogeys, little ornery gophers and errant tee shots, and cart girls that will cost you strokes. That's right, penalty! Whether you want to play a quick game or have hours of fun, this game is the one!

The box comes complete with the "Rules of Play" and has a "Key" also. You may come across a mulligan, Shankin it card or "Out of Bounds" card. At any rate, you have to keep an eye on your opponents and by all means, Stay Out of The Rough! The object of course, is to have the lowest score. Sound familiar? It's bringing the course home to your dining room table!

For a mere $9.99 at Amazon, you can get this for Stocking Stuffers this Christmas! Perhaps you're having a New Years Eve at home this year; break out the game and let the excitement begin.

I played this game with both golfers and non-golfers, of which they both had equal fun. As a matter of fact, the non-golfers said it makes them want to consider taking up Golf! I highly recommend it and give it my 2 thumbs UP! :)

The media contact person is Jennifer Niederhoffer at Impress Media. You can find her on Twitter via @impressmedia . If anyone needs a contact for wholesale orders or simpy more information, contact via email to info@waistdeepcardgames.com

Now, I've given you all the info to connect and grab this game while it's still in the inaugural offering and low price of $9.99 through Amazon. I am merely providing a review of this unique new card game, to get the word out for the folks at Waistdeepcardgames & impressmedia. The rest is up to you.....hope you all have good rounds!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.....................

The LPGA Tour Championship closes the LPGA 2010 season this week

This week will be the final LPGA Tournament, to be held at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.

Anna Nordqvist is the defending champion. Tune in to see if she can capture back to back wins at this prestigious event.

She has played 20 tournaments thus far and has finished 2nd, letting the elusive win slip by her. She's had 4 top ten finishes and has 2 career victories, which came in 2009.
She is tied for 40th in her driving accuracy at .694, tied for 7th in putts per green at 1.77 and has a driving average of 248.4 this season. Anna has had 34 of 66 rounds under par, which leave her in a tie for 20th.

This weeks tournament is not simply the final of the season, it will decide the Rolex Rankings No. 1 Player! The top four in the run  are; Jiyai Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr and Yani Tseng. Na Yeon Choi and Ai Miyazato are 5th & 6th in the rankings.

It would be quite surprising if Suzann Pettersen takes the honors without winning a single tournament this season. I have tagged Suzann as the Susan Lucci of Golf, with her 6 runner up finishes this year! She is the current leader in greens hit in regulation, at 77%. She's had 44 out of 62 rounds under par, ranks 3rd in top ten finishes, with 12 out of 18. She is also 3rd best in scoring average. Can she make it happen at the final event?

The tournament runs from Dec. 2nd - Dec. 5th with Golf Channel televised coverage as follows; Thursday & Friday 1:30 - 3:30 PM ET and Saturday  Sunday 7:30 - 9:30 PM ET

Poulter in the lead after 3 rds, will he get back to back wins?

Ian Poulter is in the lead again, going into the final round of the Dubai World Championship. Ranked #11 in world rankings, he is 2 strokes ahead of the pack at 12 under.

His rounds of 69, 66 & 69 are reminiscent of one week ago when he shot all four rounds in the 60's to win the trophy at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Ian had a first round 69, bogey free with 3 birdies. His 2nd round of 66 consisted of 6 birdies. The 3rd round of 69 had 5 birdies and 2 bogeys.

While Ross Fisher made a run yesterday up the leaderboard to tie Ian, he is currently in a 3 way tie for 2nd place at -10 alongside Fransesco Molinari, and Thongchai Jaidee. It appears that Lee Westwood could be strenghthening his hold on the #1 ranking, if he continues to play well and finish in the top 10 at this final tournament of the season. The only way he could lose that ranking is if Martin Kaymer finishes in the top 2. Westwood could finish 2nd in the Race to Dubai, with a strong finish in tomorrow final round. Westwood has had 32 career wins in his 24 yrs on Tour, as well as 7 Ryder Cup appearances.

Kaymer, who had a struggle in Singapore and skipped last week's UBS Hong Kong Open, will be pouring on the steam in an effort to win the European Tour Money Title. In that Title, he currently leads Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood.

Graeme could capture the title with a win in Dubai this week or a sole spot in 2nd place as long as Kaymer doesn't finish any higher than 3rd. Kaymer had skipped last week's UBS Hong Kong Open so that he could rest up for this week's final in Dubai, United Arab of Emirates. Graeme currently sits at -2 in a tie for 30th place after 3 rounds, so it doesn't appear he can have any chance of catching Kaymer with only the final round to go. Kaymer has stated that a win in Dubai would be the clinching of 3 goals he set for himself; to win a major, win the Ryder Cup, and become the #1 golfer in Europe.

Meanwhile, the 3 gents (Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell & Martin Kaymer) were awarded Honorary Life Memberships of The European Tour, Europe's highest award. All 3 have won Majors this year; Kaymer, the US PGA Champion, McDowell,the US Open and  Oosthuizen, the Open Champion. They received their Silver Life Membership cards and Money Clips by the Chief Executive of The European Tour by George O'Grady. This special presentation was in the Jumeirah Golf Estates Clubhouse, prior to the start of the Dubai World Championship. Congrats Gents!

You can catch the final round on Golf Channel live from 3:00 am - 8:00 am, or a repeat at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm or 6:30 pm. This is going to be a great final round. Can Ian Poulter have back to back wins? Will Westwood hold on to the #1 World Ranking? Will Martin Kaymer win the European Money Title? Don't miss this European Tour final event!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls..................

Michelle Wie skipping the LPGA Championship & will play in Dubai

Michelle Wie thus far, has plans to play in the Omega Dubai Ladies Master's. She will be missing the LPGA Championship in Orlando, Florida. After withdrawing from the Lorena Ochoa Invitational 2 weeks ago, she has been seeking medical attention for a back injury.

The committment to play the LPGA Championship was in question, even prior to her back injury. Michelle is the defending champion of the Omega Dubai Ladies Master's and that has been her priority to play as long as her back is well enough to do so. Also part of the equation was the fact that the LPGA Championship moved the dates of the tourney to Dec., which is not only too close to the Dubai event but also interferes with final exams at Stanford University where Michelle is a senior.

If some do not like the fact that she will be missing the LPGA Championship, then that's just too bad. Hat's off to Michelle for trying to rehab her back and get ready to play and defend her title in Dubai! And good luck during your finals too, as there will always be more golf to play in your future!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.........

Duel to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on the LET Tour

While Leanne Pace & Laura Davies both have 5 wins on Tour this season, Pace leads the Hendersen Money List. Laura Davies tightened that reign with her recent win at the Hero Honda's Women's Indian Open. The possibilities for taking that title are: if Davies wins and Pace is 2nd, Pace will still claim the top of the List. So, Laura will be hoping for the win and at least a 3rd place spot for Pace.

There's a strong field lining up for the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, with Defending Champion In-Kyung Kim returning with hopes to match Annika's victory feat of winning back to back titles. In-Kyung Kim had to battle with Michelle Wie to take the title last year. She will however, be secured the title of Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year award, when she surpassed Maria Hernandez of Spain in the Tour Order of Merit for this season. As it stands now, Diana D'Alessio, Christina Kim & Kim Welch of the USA will be in the field. Also competing are Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, Carin Koch and Louise Freeburg and Julieta Granada. All of these players I've named, will be playing by exemption status. 

Also heading to the final event for the LET Tour is last year's Big Break winner Carling Coffing, who will be making her innaugural appearance at the Emirates Golf Club for the tourney that runs from Dec. 6-Dec. 11th. You can follow live scoring on the LET Tour home page via this link LET Tour and click on "Live Scoring". As most of you know from Carling's  time on the Big Break, she has learnt to have a "never give up attitude" which came from being diagnosed with diabetes at just 5 years of age. 

The tournament is the 4th richest on the tour, behind the Evian Masters, the Women's British Open and the Women's World Cup of Golf. The prize is 500,000 euro, broken down as such; Winner receives 75,000, 2nd place 50,750 , 3rd place 35,000  , 4th place 27,000 and 5th place 21,200.

Now, Go Hit Some Balls...................

Congrats to Ian J. Poulter on his win in Hong Kong!

Ian Poulter has won on the European Tour, with the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open! After shooting a phenomenal 2nd round of 60 (yes 60!), he took the lead. He had an opening round of 67 and then finished rounds 3 & 4 with a 64 and 67 respectively. While notably one of the most stylish gents on Tour, he remained humble in his win on Sunday.

He played a stellar tournament with the first 3 rounds completely bogey free! His second round of 60, included 10 birdies! He only had 2 bogeys the entire tournament, which came in the final round. Ian also sank 2 eagles, with one in the 3rd round and one in the final round on Sunday. Saturday's eagle came at the par 5, #3 hole and Sunday's came at the par 5, #13. Perhaps a (3) is his new lucky number?!

While Ian started the final round 2 strokes ahead of Simon Dyson and the rest of the field, he was unlucky when his tee shot off the #3 par 5, found the lake. That only inspired him more and he followed that blunder with 3 birdies! Dyson was able to move into a co-leadership with Poulter until he got to the 8th hole and carded a bogey to drop him to -20 overall. Graeme McDowell had looked to be Ian's closest competitor at the start of the final round, he dropped 2 shots and took par on the rest to place him 6 strokes back.

And then there was Rory McIllroy who started the tourney quite strong with a first round 63. He continued to shoot all 4 rounds in the 60's however, it wasn't enough to contend with Poulter or Dyson. McIllroy finished in 6th place at -18. Defending Champion Gregory Bouhdry finished in a tie for 11th place with -15.

Ian joined the tour in 1994 at the young age of 18. For his 2010 season, he has played in 24 events and carded 2 WINS! His prior win was in February, at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. He's made 19 cuts and only missed 3. He had one withdraw this year. Ian has also had 6 top ten finishes during his 2010 season. His season earnings are just under $2 million.

While Ian has recently said that he is giving thought to being able to play on the PGA Tour along with the European Tour, no firm decision has yet been made. The difficulty came into play, when the European Tour increased the number of tournaments from 11 to 13. Add that to the required number of 15 minimum events on the PGA Tour, and there's a recipe for "time squash". Most PGA Tour members play anywhere from 20-30 tournaments per season.

Now, Go Hit Some Balls......................

Young McIllroy holds after round 1 at the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open

Rory McIllroy finished the first round at -7, just one stroke behind the leader Mark Brown (in photo to the left), in the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open. 8 birdies and just one bogey will look good on the card anytime! Current leader Mark Brown sits at -8, 62.

This week's tourney is being played at the Hong Kong Golf Club in New Territories, Hong Kong. Greg Bourdy' the defending champion, sits in a tie for 12th place after round one with a -4  66 on his card.

Graeme McDowel playing against his Ryder Cup teammate McIllroy, sits in a tie for 6th place with a -5  65 carded for the opening round. Jeev Milkha Singh is tied with McIllroy in 2nd place, followed by Simon Dyson and Soren Hansen in 4th.

And then there's Big John, as in John Daly! As most notice him now as much thinner and always with bright loud golf slacks on; he continues to have difficulty in his game. He's had an year that's been hampered with a bad shoulder that has required him to have it "popped back" into place at least 5 times! Big John feels he's made more cuts this year than possibly ever before, but he's been unable to bring his game on the weekend when it matters. After dropping the 100 lbs, he currently weighs in at approx 195. And he'll be the first to state that it's been a hard adjustement, to learn to play with a much smaller physique. He blames his putting on the fact that he can no longer rest his elbows on his "love handles". Come on John, Really?

With only 3 tourneys left on the European Tour, it will end with the South African Open Dec. 16-19th. After this week's Open in Hong Kong, the men will head to the Dubai World Championship Presented by DP World and then onto the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek County Club.

I'm going to say there are a couple of guys to watch that may take the last 3 wins of the 2010 season on the European Tour; Rory McIllroy can capture the trophy this week if he can remain consistent and not let the weekend nerves affect him. He's had 2  career wins, with this years Quail Hollow Championship. He's had 4 missed cuts out of the 24 events he's played thus far. While Rory has recently said he would forego his 2011 PGA Tour Card, he will remain strong on the European Tour while staying closer to home. This kid is going to break through and stay a tough contender, it's just a matter of when.

I then feel that Ian Poulter is going to make a charge in Dubai and Anders Hansen will capture one. Ian has had 10 career wins between the tours including just one in 2010.
Anders has had 3 career wins, with the last being in 2009 at the Joburg Open on the European Tour. He's had 2 top ten finishes and 5 missed cuts out of the 26 events played.



Whether my predictions will hold true, only time will tell.

Televised times are 12:00 am - 4:00 am ET throughout the tourney. So, set your DVR's or watch for replays on the Golf Channel.

Now, Go Hit Some Balls...............

Stay tuned for a couple of product reviews coming soon!

I will be reviewing a couple of products in the near future and providing links to them as well. Just some fun & exciting things to do when the off season is nearing! Please feel free to comment on them as well as any posting here on the blog as well.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your follows!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.........................

Davies WINS again in 4-way Playoff in India!

Accomplished ladies european tour player Laura Davis captured yet another WIN after a four-way playoff in India. As a matter of fact, her 3rd win in 15 playoffs. While the Hero Honda Women's Indian Open was anything less than boring; Davies fought back in her final round to card a -2, 70 which put her in a tie with Nontaya, Cunningham, & Louise Friberg. Although Nontaya didn't win, she felt as though she did! Her finish placed her into the top 80 on the LET Tour Money List and therefore, also lets her forego the trip to Spain for Q-School (where she was planning to go after this tourney).

Davies won the title on the par 5 18th hole, when she 2 putted for the winning birdie. Now, this wasn't just any hole, it was the one that gave life back to her in her final round when she EAGLED it!

While she still remains 2nd on the Henderson Money List behind Leanne Pace. Laura will have to win the upcoming Omega Dubai Ladies Masters to finish on top of the list. She'll have a short rest before beginning that tourney on Dec. 6th, at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

There, she will be playing alongside Carling Coffing (last years Big Break winner), who will be making her innaugural appearance for the tourney. The win on the Golf Channel's Big Break, gave her the exemption for this event as well as many other opportunities that Carling states she is very fortunate to have. She previously played on the Duramed Futures Tour last year, where she made 13 of 17 cuts. Carling brings a bubbly joy to the game. She has an upbeat spirit that is hard to dampen. Made tough by living with diabetes since a child, she vowed never to let anything stop her from her dreams. I'll be rooting for her, will you?

Now, Go Hit Some Balls................

Garrigus wins Disney & Appleby wins Down Under!

While Robert had a 3 stroke lead on the final hole, everyone was focusing on him. He shot an -8 64 round to win the Children's Miracle Network Classic, and his first WIN. While this wasn't just any win for Robert, it was a win that allowed him to keep his PGA Tour Card for next year! The top 125 is the cut-off point. His overall finish was at -21 with a 3 stroke win over Roland Thatcher. After a triple bogey earlier in the year allowed Lee Westwood to win in Memphis, he wasn't about to let that happen again. While he started the tourney in 122nd place; he had to keep a strong finish to stay inside that 125. A couple others; Mark Wilson & Michael Connell were the only players who started the tourney outside of that parameter, and finished inside! Mr. Orange (Rickie Fowler) finished in a tie for 3rd.

Down under in Australia, Stuart Appleby won the JBWere Australian Masters. A cinderella story if you will; he wasn't on any of the promo pics seen around the city, nor was he invited to the gala dinner. I think he proved to Melbourne, that he deserved to wear the Gold Jacket after carding rounds of 71, 69, 69 & 65! His final round was bogey free and consisted of 6 birdies and 12 pars! Congrats Stuart, well deserved!

In other news on the Men's European Tour, Adam Scott won the Barclays Singapore Open with a -3 68 finish today, after play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday due to rain delays. He carded a 3 stroke win over Anders Hansen, to capture his 3rd Singapore Open title. The event was a co-sanctioned by the European Tour & the Asian Tour. This was Scott's 7th Tour victory. Defending Champion Ian Poulter had a chance at keeping the title but carded a 73 for his final round, finishing in a tie for 6th place.


Now, Go Hit Some Balls.............

In-Kyung Kim wins Lorena Ochoa Invitational & a look at the last tourney coming up!

Her play was stellar and her heart even stronger. South Korean In-Kyung Kim donated her entire winner's check ($220,000) to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation & America's Charities after finishing with a 3 stroke win over Suzann Pettersen on Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In-Kyung shot rounds of 69, 68, 68 and 64 for a finish at -19. Her last round of 64 tied Cristie Kerr's first round (which set a new course record) and set a career low for In-Kyung Kim. She was -6 on the front 9 and carded 3 birdies & 1 bogey on the back 9.

In-Kyung joined the LPGA in 2007. She has played in 20 tournaments this season and has over $1,000,000 in earnings for 2010. She has had 11 top ten finishes this season. Although career wise she's had 3 victories, this was the only one this season. She had wins in 2009 at the StateFarm Classic and 2008 at the Longs Drugs Challenge. This season, she's only missed one cut. And while she may not be one of the longest hitters with a 244. average, she was spot on for this tourney.

While the tourney looked as if it was going to belong to either Paula Creamer or Suzann Pettersen, neither could hold on. In-Kyung Kim had precision in her drives as well as shots onto the greens. While Suzann started the final round as the leader, she did what she has routinely and let the tourney slip away from her, leaving her at another 2nd place. She lost drives to the right and then her irons failed her by hitting the bunkers or coming up short. While a win is likely to happen for Suzann, she has only one tourney left this season. She has truly become the Susan Lucci of Golf. She above everyone else knows that coming in 2nd frequently doesn't mean she won't get "The WIN". During her post round interview, she reminded everyone of another player who did the same......Lorena Ochoa.

The final tourney will be Dec. 2nd-5th at Grand Cypress Golf Club in sunny Orlando, Florida. Anna Nordqvist is the defending Champion. She won last year in her Rookie year no less. She's had 4 top ten finishes this season, in her 20 starts. Anna finished in a tie for 28th at this past week's Lorena Ochoa Invitational. She's missed only 2 cuts this year and had her best finish at the StateFarm Classic, where she tied for 2nd place behind winner Cristie Kerr.

Although it's been a changing ride all season long with staying on top as the world's number one, there are only two ladies who the title comes down to. With 30 points given for winning the  Lorena Ochoa Invitational and 30 for the Tour Championship; either Jiyai Shin or Na Yeon Choi are the only ones that can capture this season ending distinction. Jiyai, who skipped the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, sits at the top as she has for 3 weeks. Currently, the poll shows that 56% are picking Jiyai Shin and 44% think Na Yeon Choi will win it. What do you think?

Now, Go Hit Some Balls............

Lorena Ochoa Invitational 2010

Currently, Cristie Kerr is playing with what it takes to take back the #1 position. She is ranked 3rd currently, behind Jiyai Shin & Yani Tseng. She sits atop the leaderboard this week at -8 and is 3 strokes ahead of Stacy Lewis. Ai Miyazato, NYC, Katherine Hull and Paula Creamer all sit in a tie at -4. Cristie set a new course record 64 with her first round yesterday!

I believe Cristie has played with the determination and focus that it takes to be Player of The Year. She has had 11 top ten finishes in 19 starts. Cristie has had 44 of 66 rounds under Par, 275 birdies, and 8 eagles. She is tied for 1st for her putts per green at 1.75 and has a driving avg of 259.2  Cristie has 2 wins this year and 14 career victories.

Host of the tourney Lorena Ochoa, sits in 27th place at +2 currently. Some other noteables; Christina Kim is in a tie for 30th, Mika Miyazato is in a tie for 20th and Suzann Pettersen is in a tie for 9th place. 

On the surprising side; Yani Tseng and Anna Nordqvist are tied for 32nd place and Brittany Lincicome is in last at 36th at +7.

With only one more tourney, the LPGA Tour Championship around the corner on Dec. 2-5th in Orlando, Florida, you can bet that these ladies will be giving it their all to finish strong. Having today, saturday and sunday left of this tourney, ANYTHING is possible! The Golf Channel has televised coverage from 4:00-6:30 pm ET daily of the tourney.

The update on Michelle Wie following her withdrawal late yesterday from the tourney, report a couple of small cysts and bulging disc in her back. She remains confident that she will be able to get treatment and rehab her back, stating "it's nothing serious". This goes to show her toughness and determination, after she played yesterday through great pain. I send well wishes to Michelle and you can to0 via Twitter at @TheMichelleWie

Tune in to see how your favorites fare in beautiful Guadalajara, Mexico!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls.............

Tiger in contention then not, European guys giving up USA PGA Tour cards for 2011, and Michelle Wie withdraws from Lorena Ochoa Invitational

Tiger started the Australian Masters with remnants of "a Tiger of past", getting him into contention in the tourney and being only 4 strokes behind the leader. Adam Brind, who will leave Sunday night for Q-School, was in the lead friday with a -4  67. Then came the winds, the rain & the inconsistency with his irons and Tiger is now 9 shots off the lead. He has 15 players ahead of him and will have a climb to get back near the top. This tournament, is the final title defense of the year for Tiger. Can he make it happen? Time & weather will tell!

The scuttlebutt about the Europeans ditching the USA PGA Tour next season is not about "deflecting" but about the number of tournaments that playing on both the European Tour and US Tour would require. First it was Westwood, then it was McIllroy and now possibly Ian Poulter who could be leaving their USA PGA Tour behind in 2011. While for most, the concern is the required 13 tournaments on the European Tour and the 15 on the USA PGA Tour. That can present a major problem with travel & time conflicts. For young Rory McIllroy, it is more of missing home. He has stated that he has a girlfriend, 2 dogs and a house that he really loves and misses. Ian Poulter has stated that it's going to come down to whether it's even doable. One thing to remember, is that these gentlemen are people. People who have wives, or girlfriends and families that they are devoted to and not just the game of golf. It's refreshing in one aspect, to see that the truly important things such as family, come before career (even in the world of Golf)!

Sadly, on the Ladies LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie had to withdraw yesterday from the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. Michelle is the defending Champion of the tourney and having to withdrawal due to back issues, was not an easy thing for her, but a necessary one for her health. With upcoming testing and treatment, I wish Michelle a very speedy rehab!

The Lorena Ochoa Invitational by Banamex & Corona Light Nov. 11-14

It's been 6 months since Lorena Ochoa shocked many with her retirement announcement. Now, she will be playing/hosting this week's LPGA event from her home country, and home course in Guadalajara, Mexico. There is a discrepancy in the course yardage (which I have never run across until now), as the tourney site lists it at 6,900 and the LPGA site lists this as 6,644. I'm going with the tourney site as being legit.

Defending Champion Michelle Wie who defeated Paula Creamer by 2 strokes, will be there to defend her title. The Stanford student shot rounds of 70, 66, 70 & 69  to finish at -13 last year to take the tourney trophy!

This week's prestigious tournament will take place at the Gualdalajara County Club. The course plays 6,900 and is a par 72. The ladies will play a 72 hole stroke play format for this tourney, which is only in it's 3rd year. Designed by John Bredemus and built in 1942, it is known as one of the country's oldest and best golf courses.

This tournament takes the 36 best players in the world, which is broken down as: Top 5 players from the Rolex Rankings, Top 26 players from the LPGA official money list, and 5 golfers selected by the Tournament Committee as exemptions. To see the official field of players for the 2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational, go to: http://www.loi.mx/sitio2010/english/field/

The Pro Am starting times are listed here; http://www.loi.mx/sitio2010/english/envivo/horarios.php?dia=2010-11-10
Coverage of the tournament Nov. 11-14th, will be provided by the Golf Channel. You can watch it from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. ET all four days! You can get live scoring via the LPGA at http://www.lpgascoring.com/22763/leaderboard/leaderboard.html

Lorena's desire to help people that have limited resources, was the backbone behind her forming the Lorena Ochoa Foundation. The foundation office is located in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The foundation currently works in the greater metropolitan area of Guadalajara. The logo is a square golf ball and the story behind that is that they believe that "helping" is possible and with help, anything is possible. You can learn more about Lorena's Foundation or by donating, by visiting http://www.fundacionlorenaochoa.org/index_i.html .


Now, Go Hit Some Balls...............