Wie & Woods card 65's for the first rounds of their tourneys this week!

While Michelle Wie carded a first round 65 at the CN Canadian Women's Open in Winnipeg CN, Tiger Woods did the same in Paramus NJ at The Barclays.

Michelle had an exciting hole-in-one on the 11th, a par 3 during her first round. She had 6 birdies and only one bogey to finish the round is first place. Her putting is much sharper this week, as she has devoted a lot of time working on such. She then carded a 2nd round 69 to stay the leader and 2 strokes ahead of Jiyai Shin. 3rd place is a tie with Morgan Pressel and defending champion Suzann Pettersen. Another lady, Katherine Hull has been looking sharp as of late and currently sits in 10th place after the first 2 rounds. Karen Stupples is in 17th and another favorite Christina Kim is in 24th. Recent winner Yani Tseng missed the cut with rounds of 73 & 76 respectively. Also missing the cut were; Anna Nordqvist, Azahara Munoz, Angela Stanford and Amanda Blumenhurst. Weekend coverage on the GC is at 3:00-6:00 ET sat and 2:00-6:96:00 ET Sun.


Tiger surprised many and had his best round of the year with an opening round of 65 yesterday in Paramus, NJ at The Barclays. Woods said "it's nice to hit the ball flush again", after admitting he's been missing that all year. As a matter of fact, his 65 was the lowest round in 46 rounds, that date back to a 62 in the BMW Championship last year! This is a great week to play your lowest, with only the top 100 will advance to the 2nd round of playoffs next week. While he shot a 73 today, he sits in 14th and has plenty of places to climb. Leading the tourney is Jason Day at -8, followed by Kevin Streelman & Vaughn Taylor at -7. Jason has carded 67 for both rounds thus far. 4th place is held by 3 players currently; Stewart Cink, Martin Laird & John Senden at -6. Missing the cut this week were Mickelson, Snedecker, Glover & Furyk. Next week is the Deutsche Bank Championship. Since Tiger has easily made the cut, he needs to finish at least in the middle of the pack to go on to the next round. I don't think he'll have any problems doing just that. And, Captain Pavin is liking more sure of picking Tiger as one of his captain's picks for the Ryder Cup. He knew Tiger had it, as did most everyone! With the weight of personal issues lifted somewhat with the finalizing of his divorce last week; his mind can now focus more on his game. 1:00-2:30 ET on the GC and 3:00-6:00 ET on CBS for Sat. Final round coverage will be 12:00-1:30 pm ET on GC and 2:00-6:00 ET on CBS.

CN Canadian Women's Open Aug 26-29th

This week, the LPGA will be in Winnipeg, Canada for the CN Canadian Women's Open. Suzann Pettersen is the defending Champion who won last year with a -15 on her scorecard.

She posted rounds of 65-68-66 and 70. Her margin of victory made some take notice, since she defeated five players by 5 strokes to claim the win. In a 5 way tie for 2nd place were; Momoko Ueda, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Angela Stanford and Karrie Webb.

Cristie Kerr had finished 18th in this tourney last year, but I'm sure that will change this week. Cristie comes off a tourney that cost her the keeping of the title of World's number one in the rankings.

Ai Miyazato reclaimed that title after her win at the Safeway Classic. I look for this to be a battle that will have both Cristie and Ai both at the top as well as Suzann Pettersen who has yet to win this year. Suzann has had several 2nd place finishes however, we will have to wait and see if this will be the tournament that she holds it together for. Suzann has had 9 top 10 finishes in 13 starts this season. She s ranked 16 in her driving abilities with an average of just over 259!

The CN Candian Women's Open began in 2001. The charity this week is the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. The tourney will be a 72 hole format, which will be back to normal after last week's 54 hole.

Television coverage for this tourney is as follows:
Aug 26 12:00-2:00 AM ET GC
Aug 26 4:00-7:00 PM ET CBC 
Aug 27 12:00-2:00 AM ET GC
Aug 27 4:00-7:00 PM ET CBC 
Aug 28 2:00-6:00 PM ET CBC
Aug 28 3:00-6:00 PM ET GC
Aug 29 2:00-6:00 PM ET GC
Aug 29 2:00-6:00 PM ET CBC




Now, GO Hit Some Balls..........

Rules are Rules are Rules...

As most any Golf Fan knows, the past couple of weeks have had a couple of controversial rulings during tournaments that ended with a two stroke penalty for Dustin Johnson and then a disqualification for Juli Inkster.

First up was Dustin at the Wyndham Championship, when he was in an apparent bunker outside of the fairway. He had grounded his club and thus, incurred the 2 stroke penalty which took him out of contention for a potential 3 way playoff.

Second, was this past weekend for Juli Inkster at the Safeway Classic. Julie was on the 10th tee and had a considerable wait before her group could tee off. This was common throughout the tournament due to the course structure, etc. Juli had decided to loosen up and she placed a weight onto the shaft of one of her clubs and took some swings to stay loose. The rules state that you are not allowed to use any type of attachment onto a club. What is allowed, is a weighted head cover, etc. The LPGA officials recieved an email telling them of what occurred. They then went back and reviewed the video coverage to confirm this had occurred. Once they did so, Juli was down to having one hole left to finish, so they allowed her to finish. They spoke with her after her round and let her know of the disqualification.

Now, on one hand these may seem ridiculous or petty. On the other, there are RULES for these very reasons. The governing bodies of both the LPGA and the PGA as well as other Tours, cannot allow golfers to just do whatever they feel like doing or to change the rules for each individual. This has to be an across the board Rule and in both cases this was. For Dustin, the rules given to all players prior to the start of the tourney stated that "ALL bunkers within the fairway and outside of the fairways would be played as Bunkers". For Juli, it stated that "use of anything other than the allowed weighted head cover would result in disqualification".

What is so unfortunate is that just like Dustin who was in contention for a possible 3 way playoff prior to his grounding his club in the out of the fairway bunker; Juli was in a tie for 2nd place during the round in which she was disqualified. Two great golfers, two different situations, and the end result was stated clearly in the Rules and they had to be followed.

I'm not going to say whether I think these rules were right or questionable, they were simply the Rules that had to be followed. If one had went back and allowed this for one player, then favoritism complaints would come into play. There are reasons for rules and no matter how unfortunate these two instances were, the Tours were appropriate in the way they were dealt with.

At any time, a player can and should ask an official if they are unsure of a given situation or their options. I was raised and told that "No question is a dumb question", and in this case, questions could have made the difference of potentially winning tournaments.


Now, GO Hit Some Balls...................

PGA Wyndham Championship 3rd Round in action!

Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. is the host to this week's PGA tourney, the Wyndham Championship. Defending Champion Ryan Moore missed the cut (which was at -3) after carding rounds of 68 & 70 respectively.

While the 3rd round is currently in action, John Rollins leads the pack at -14 followed by R Brandt Snedeker at -13. Richard S. Johnson is on a climb and sits in a tie for 3rd at -12.

Some of the players not making the cut to play this weekend were; Brian Gay, Lee Janzen, Mike Weir, Davis Love III, Matthew Goggin, Joe Olgilvie, Anthony Kim, Alex Cejka, Fred Couples, Kevin Johnson, Matt Bettencourt and Henrik Stenson to name a few.

Surprisingly, Dustin Johnson who had the controversial penalty of 2 strokes which took him out of a 3 way playoff chance, is not playing this week. He was said to be enjoying some sun and boating earlier this week. Whether that break is a good one vs jumping right back in and staying focused, is yet to be seen until he plays again. The next PGA tourney is scheduled for October at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

You can stay up to date on this tourney via CBS coverage today & Sunday from 2 pm - 5 pm ET. You can also follow via Sirius XM from 12 pm - 6 pm this weekend as well. And as always, via PGATour.com 

The time has arrived......Here's The Christina Kim Q & A interview!

Whether cutting it up on the course practicing before a tourney, or practicing at home in Florida, Christina Kim has a smile and laugh that are contagious! 

She has been a member of the US Solheim Cup twice, with the most recent being in 2009 at Rich Harvest Farms when she grabbed the final point to clinch the Cup for the US Team. Her Solheim record overall is 3-1-0! This season thus far, she has finished tied for 8th at The Womens' US Open,  9th for the RICOH British Women's Open, 25th at the LPGA Championship by Wegman's and 29th at the HSBC Women's Champions, to name a few. She turned pro in 2002, after finishing 2nd on the money list of the Futures Tour with 12 Top Ten finishes out of 18, which earned her exempt status for the LPGA Tour in 2003, her Rookie Year.

She was the first to have the record/title of the "youngest LPGA Player to earn $1 million dollars" (which has since been broken). She is currently ranked 53rd on the Rolex Rankings list as of the end of July. I've used bright colors for this session, to reflect the bright personality that Christina Kim brings to the LPGA. I hope you enjoy......

Q. At what age did you first realize that you had what it takes &  wanted to play golf competitively?
A. Funny enough, my perception of golf was always a bit different from the norm. I just always knew I wanted to play golf for my entire life, and then at the age of 16 I realized what the LPGA was. When I was 14 onward, my father lugged around a video camera and tripod to EVERY tournament I played. We would then analyze my rounds after the fact. So when I saw the LPGA on TV, I assumed it was something similar. It was only when I started to play really aggressively in amateur events that the idea of playing and making money sunk in. What a wonderful career to have! To do what you love and to love what you do is often very rare in life. So I would say it was at a pretty late stage in life when I figured it out, but I knew I always wanted to play golf at a young age, so its hard to answer the question!


Q. You seem to be close with your family and have supportive parents, are there any other siblings in prof sports? And does your family all live nearby? A. My family is pretty close-knit. I have an older brother and sister, and though we all started to play at the same time, I'm the only one that caught the bug. My brother is more of an introvert and very intelligent when it comes to science and technology, so he has found a passion for that. My sister still plays, but is happily married and focuses on her career. My brother lives about a half an hour away from me in Orlando.


Q. What do you feel was the biggest change you made this year with your game, that started to really   make a difference and start placing you back near the top?
  A. Two words- Ron Stockton. He and I spent one hour on the putting green in Toledo, and since then, my view on the game is absurdly different. I feel like I am unstoppable and I am excited to be on the greens again!


Q. What has been the overall response of your book "Swinging From my Heels" from your fellow competitors on the LPGA Tour? I personally LOVED the book after reading it the first two days after I rec'd it! It was one I couldn't put down and literally gave me many laughs!
A. Thank you for the kind words. Of the nearly 40 players I've given a copy of my book to, I have yet to hear one negative comment. It was such a thrilling experience to write, and the journey to discovering so many things about me was incredible!



Q. Are there any sequels in store for all your fans? And, how did you find balance with a grueling travel schedule and say, writing that first book with Alan Shipnuck?
A. I've been asked many times about whether a sequel is in store for Alan and me. It is such an honor because that means people have enjoyed the book, which immensely pleases me. However, at this time, I think writing a sequel is not in the stars at this time. Making phone calls is pretty much how Alan and I made the book work. We would be on the phone for hours at a time, while I would go about multitasking!


Q. It seems that you literally have thousands of fans, both on the course and with Twitter; what is your favorite social networking site that you prefer for connecting with your fans?
A. In so far, I love being able to interact with my fans and followers on Twitter. To be able to be connected to so many thousands of fans, at any given moment, is very fulfilling. I have met so many wonderful people through Twitter, and for that I am grateful!


Q. As a prof golfer on the LPGA Tour, what would you say the hardest thing is to give up while your out grinding away traveling to tournaments?  A. The hardest thing to give up is the ability to hang out with friends and family. But that is something that one can and has to get used to. Phone calls, skype, email, texts, have all now become a means of a second language for me, though nothing beats being in one's presence.


Q. Who are your sponsors?
A. I presently do business with Clemmy's all natural ice cream, Keri golf bags, Jamie Sadock clothing, Sunderland Outfitters, PUR water filters, TaylorMade, Putterflys, and I do non-endorsement business with Porsche. 



Q. While I realize some golfers might have others do their travel scheduling/booking flights, etc, I've heard that you do all of this yourself, is that true?
A. I personally love being able to find a perfect travel schedule. I do a portion of my own accommodations, as well as have travel agents book some as well. And why not? If one is capable of doing their own travel, I think they should! 



Q. What would you say are your goals for the remainder of this season and into the start of 2011 on the LPGA Tour? A. My goals are to win, to try and achieve a perfect round of golf where I hit every shot just the way I want to, and to continue to grow the brand of the LPGA and the game of golf, wherever I go.


Q. What do you find most flattering from the thousands of fans you have, being a prof golfer, accomplished writer, and great presence in the world of social networking? 
A. I find the fact that people listen to what I have to say in my tweets, my book, my blog, and as a golfer the most humbling thing in the world. I can't believe anyone would want to know what I do on a daily basis. It is such a great feeling, and yet I still don't get it haha! :)


Q. And winding down with our questions, what keeps you grounded with so many accomplishments at such a young age? 
A. My parents always told me that no matter what you do, you have to remember where you come from. And like many people in the world, I was not raised with a silver spoon. I was always raised to be respectful of people and what they do. However, I don't think I am that accomplished, to be honest. I feel like my career is just starting. 


Q. Is there a special someone in your life right now?  Do you forsee marriage and/or children in your future on the LPGA Tour or will that be another separate chapter in your life after golf?
A. I am not dating right now, nor do I have any intention of finding a boyfriend for a while. I had a relationship with a great guy earlier this year, but I realized that at the present moment, golf has to consume my life. Nancy Lopez has given me some great advice, in telling me that right now is the best time in my life. That I should take care of me and find personal happiness. And anytime Ms. Lopez tells me something, I listen!!

Q. There was a huge response to the CKJR golf match up with John Raser, is there a sequel....CKJR #2 in store for your fans? And when might they expect this to occur?
A. The CKJR golf match I had with my buddy, John Raser, was so much fun! I had a great time, and I am definitely fiending on when I get a chance for redemption! We are both very busy with our schedules, so presently the CKJR is looking like its going to happen this winter. 


I'd like to Thank Christina Kim, for taking part in this Q & A format interview. You can follow Christina via the following links;  Twitter at @TheChristinaKim  And, her Blog as well via TheChristinaKim.Blogspot.com and lastly, you can also follow all LPGA Tourneys at LPGA

This week for the LPGA, is The Safeway Classic Presented by Coca Cola

This week's tournament will be held in North Plains, Oregon. It will be Aug 20-22nd. The format this week is 54 holes. Ghost Creek Golf Course will host this week's tourney at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The course plays 6552 yards and is par 72. is Televised coverage will be on the Golf Channel as follows;

Aug 20 : GC 12:30-2:30 PM ET
Aug 21 : GC 5:30-8:00 PM ET
Aug 22 : GC 5:30-8:00 PM ET

Defending Champion MJ Hur won this tourney last year while in her rookie season when she defeated Suzann Pettersen and Michelle Redman in a two hole sudden death playoff. Current rankings have Cristie Kerr as the world's #1 player followed by Ai Miyazato and Jiyai Shin.

You can follow the classic via Twitter at @safewayclassic or online at Safewayclassic.com

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

Congrats to Marin Kaymer on winning the 92nd PGA Championship!

After a controversial ruling on the 18th hole yesterday for Dustin Johnson, he ended up losing 2 strokes and fell out of contention for what could have been a 3 way playoff. He handled himself with class and had respect for the game and the rules. It was clearly noted in the rules, that all players recieved prior to the tourney. He said, he should have looked at them closer. As I'm sure most of you saw on tv, he hit to what looked like an old bunker which was out of the fairway. The problem was, that he did not ask for any clarification and after grounding the club before stepping away, he was penalized 2 strokes.

Many golfers tweeted after this, saying he did not deserve that ruling however, the rules clearly stated that ANY and all bunkers whether inside or outside of the fairway, would be played as bunkers this week. Pretty clear indeed. And, while that doesn't help Dustin take the bite out of the sting, players who once said he was cheated agreed that it was clearly stated and the area to which Dustin fell into "resembled more of a bunker and less of just the rough".

I will simply say it was a very unfortunate situation. Arguing about one's personal opinion does nothing at this point. Dustin played a great tourney and has the class and respect, that you only hope to see in a professional athlete! Keep your eye on this fella!

Now, the PLAYOFF was down to two men; Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer. They went back and played the 10th hole to remain tied and then it was onto the 17th where they again remain tied. Two great players, two playoff holes and no one was about to give up.
Then, Bubba hit his drive and it went way left. Martin hit his and it went way right. After a long look from both areas that he had available for a drop; Bubba played it from where it was. Not the shot he was looking for and he ended up off the right side of the green. Martin had decided that from his spot off the rt side of the fairway, that he would do a very short pitch shot  to get back to the center of the fairway since he knew he would only be hitting 3 from there and Bubba was hitting 4 from his errant shot off to the left. Bubba needed his next pitch, which was his 5th shot to drop to stay in the game and .......well it nearly did just that. His ball hit the pin and bounced left. Martin then needed only to put it close and he still had 2 putts to sink it. His pitch shot from the fairway put him close but not close enough. He missed the first putt and all eyes were on his 2nd to see if this Playoff would continue. His 2nd putt dropped and he stood with a look of disbelief on his face that he was the winner.

The 25 y.o. from Germany had won his first Major, Martin said he still couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Bubba on the other hand, was okay with taking 2nd place and said he wouldn't have changed a thing. That's the way to play, with no regrets and he had none as he said. The important thing for him, was that he earned his way onto the Ryder Cup with his finish. That speaks volumes for the type of player that he is and the respect he has for the game! With yesterday's PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup's 8 automatic spots were finalized. What a great tourney this was with the likes of Rory McIlroy pouring on the steam over the weekend and finishing in 3rd place alongside Zach Johnson. Jason Day and Matt Kuchar finished tied for 10th place, while Camillo Villegas aka Spiderman finished in 8th.

The 2010 (37th) Ryder's Cup will be played in Wales, which was just host of the LET Wales Ladies European Championship this weekend. It is just 45 days away!

Ladies Championship of Europe is in Wales, site of 2010 Ryder Cup

Conway, UK is the host of The S4C Ladies Championship of Europe this week where the 3rd round is complete. Defending Champion Karen Stupples posted a round 71 today. Feeling as though she "left a few out there", holds 5th place all to herself. Leading the tourney is Lee-Anne Pace from South Africa at -4. Christel Boeljon is in 2nd place, just 2 strokes back at -2. Melissa Reid from England and Sweden's own Carin Koch are tied at +2.

Defending 2009 Champion Karen Stupples carded 5 birdies out there today, and will be looking for more in the final round on Sunday. Representing her sponsor VTech, she hails from England and is a very sweet lady who not only plays on the LPGA Tour, LET Tour, but is a mother to her first son Logan James born in 2007. Karen qualified for the LPGA on her first attempt! She attended Florida State University and had her career low round of 64 in her opening round at The State Farm Rail Classic in Springfield, IL to end the tourney tied for 8th. Springfield, IL is where I had the honor of meeting Karen this year, while also meeting up with a new twitter friend Mary Ann aka @ouchieee who is a huge golf fan/supporter of women's golf. While the tourney is now at Panther Creek Golf Club, it remains a tournament Karen enjoys playing in each year. Karen is an active tweeter in the Twitter world and you can follow her via her twitter name KStupples . You can catch live scoring updates via the web at LET Ladies European Tour  Best of Luck to Karen on the final round!

Mother Nature strikes Whistling Straights to delay another round of Golf!

From the beautiful shore lines of Lake Michigan to the Logo carved in the sand, Whistling Straights has some great scenery to take in.

Today's round was not completed for many players, after another day of delays from Mother Nature. Matt Kuchar the leader, shot a 2nd round 69 to stay one stroke ahead of Nick Watney at -8.  Watney closed his round out with a 68 and shot 4 under today to end at -7.

While Tiger may have missed some fairways, this did not slow him down or keep him from getting par on those holes. TIger's day ended at -1 through 6 holes. Lefty was able to finish his 2nd round, with a 69 to bring him to -2 overall. He is now in a tie for 18th place after the first half of this tourney. Bubba Watson had some challenges with the 20 mph wind today and sits at -3 through 9. I look for Bubba to make up ground on saturday when the weather should be more conducive as well.

Dustin Johnson, who posted a round 68 today, is in a tie for 3rd place at -5 after he drained a putt on hole 5 for an eagle! Shaun Micheel who shot a 69 today, sits at -2 and alongside Lefty tied for 18th place. Bryce Molder was one of the "movers" today and had birdies on holes 5, 6 & 7 to get into a 7-way tie for 3rd place. Hunter Mahan, Luke Donald, Stewart Cink and Retief Goosen to name a few; took a downward turn and likely will miss the cut which is projected to be +1 currently.

Recent winner Louis Oosthuizen will not be playing the weekend and Anthony Kim will need a good finish of his 2nd round to keep him into play for the weekend. He currently sits at +2 through 7 holes after posting a first round of 74 yesterday. If anyone can turn things around quickly it's Anthony Kim, who only recently returned to the game after his thumb surgery earlier this season.

If you think you've heard of Kohler before and are wondering about the connection; you would be correct in connecting it to one of the world's largest plumbing products. Many of you may have Kohler faucets and fixtures in your homes. It all began right here in Wisconsin, in the same community hosting this week's 92nd PGA Championship.

Kohler is a village located in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Sitting along the Sheboygan River and known for it's largest employer; The Kohler Company. The village was originally developed as a community by the Kohler Company in 1912, and also owns The American Club golf resort which houses both Whistling Straights & Blackwolf Run. Whistling Straights opened in 1998 and in the following year in it's first year of eligibiity, received distinction in Golf Magazine with being ranked 67 in the top 100 Golf Courses in America.

Saturday's coverage will be on TNT from 11 am - 2 pm ET and then from 2 pm - 7  pm on CBS Sports.
Sunday's scheduled coverage will be the same. You can also catch it LIVE on PGA.com or with the iPhone app PGA Championship!

Anyone wonder about the Duramed Futures Tour?

The LPGA's Developmental Tour is the Duramed Futures Tour. Also known as the "Road to The LPGA". With 30 years of competition, it is clearly the most established developmental tour in the world. Operating under the  ownership umbrella of the LPGA, hosts 17 tournaments this year that are played in 13 states & Mexico. While the league attracts professional women athletes from around the world, the average age is 25 y.o.

You may recall the name Vicki Hurst, who now plays on the LPGA Tour as well as MJ Hur, Mina Harigae and one of my favorites Jean Reynolds. I've had the pleasure of meeting Jean Reynolds, who is a very sweet and talented young lady. She is incredibly polite and when you talk to her it is as if you're talking with an old friend. While she hit a rough time this year in the passing of her Grandfather, she keeps on the grind on the LPGA Tour.

There have been 6 Alumni win titles last year including Lorena Ochoa, who was Player of The Year while on the Duramed Tour in 2002. It's still hard to believe that she has retired from competitive golf on the LPGA Tour, which occurred earlier this season.

Stay tuned for more in the future regarding this Tour, as I will be choosing one lady to feature in an upcoming Q&A session on the blog.  The next featured players will be Christina Kim/LPGA and John Raser/eGolf Tour. Many of you have recently read the blog featuring Brandan Price who plays on the VGT, and I look forward to featuring many more professionals in the future!

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

Go Bubba Go!

So today's first round of the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straights is  almost in the books (or  on the cards that is). You've heard of Run Forest Run; well today I was saying Go Bubba Go! And that he did, with a short game that included picture perfect pitches to shots that assured birdies. He is currently in a 4 way tie for 1st place alongside Francesco Molinari, Matt Kuchar & Ernie Els. Both Matt & Ernie are still on the course.

After just over a 3 hr delay this am due to the fog; the last major of season was underway. The humidity and heat hitting the Midwest, was very visible with the moisture litterally hanging in the air. Friday is expected to be another very warm, humid day as well before relief is to come overnight on friday. I would expect to see another delay in the am for the start of Round 2 as well.

Bubba certainly brought his short game today and he wasn't the only one off to a good start. Tiger Woods started off with 3 early birdies and ended with a -1, 71 just 3 back from the leaders.  Recent winner Louis Oosthuizen carded a -2, 70 to be in a 12 place tie for 9th. Ernie Els is -4 through 12 holes and is always what I like to call a silent steam engine.

Wisconsin's own Steve Stricker didn't have his best day however, he finished at even par as did a long list of others. Phil, the newly declared vegetarian, also carded an even par. Vijay Singh, Ben Crane, Adam Scott, Lucas Glover, Hunter Mahan, Sean O'Hair and Bill Lunde are all currently at +1, as play continues.

I predict tomorrow will bring additional momentum from Tiger, spiderman Camillo Villegas will start his climb and Dustin Johnson is going to come out firing birdies!

You can catch Friday's coverage on TNT from 1:00-8:00 pm ET!

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

The Vancouver Open will be coming up soon...Sept 9, 10th & 11th

Everyone can look forward to following the Vancouver Open, which will take place Sept. 9-11th. I'm sure many of you will want to follow Brandan Price , who was recently featured here on The Fore Report.

This unique Open Championship will be held at 3 courses. It will start on Sept. 9th at Fraserview and Langara and then end on Sept. 11th at McCleery Golf Course. A bit different than how it's done here I know however, quite intriguing. All of the golfers will be playing one round each at both Fraserview & Langara. Then, the top 60% and ties in both the Amateur & Pro divisions, will make the 36 hole cut to play the final round  at McCleery Golf Course on Saturday. The tournament will bring 224 golfers consisting of 80 pros/and 144 amateurs. Bryn Parry, a familiar name to those that follow the VGT (via Vancouvergolftour )is the defending 2009 Champion while Adam Cornelson was the 2009 Amateur winner. Bryn shot a 66, 65 and 71 to take a 2 stroke lead for the win over Phil Jonas last year.

There will be a Pro-am on Thursday, which will benefit the CKNW Orphans' Fund. What a great cause! The format will be as follows; 4 amateurs will play with a top VGT or a Candian Tour Professional to raise funds for this years charity. So, don't forget to follow along online at Vancouvergolftour, if you're not there in person in beautiful Vancouver.

Congrats to Sophie Gustafson on her win in Europe!

For the 14th win in her career, Sophie Gustafson claimed the Ladies Irish Open title on Sunday by posting a -12, 204 to defeat Marianne Skarpnord (who is a rookie), and In-Kyung Kim by 1 stroke! While she's not finished in the top ten but one time this season, it looks as if "change is gonna come"! She's started in 12 tournaments this season and had no victories until her current, which she should be very proud of. Great playing Sophie! We only wish we could have followed this via broadcast in the States. 


Sophie, who is a 7 time European Solheim Cup Team Member can be proud with the win at exquisite Killeen Castle, which will play host to the 2011 Solheim Cup. When the ladies return for the Solheim Cup in September 2011, Sophie will know what to expect. Sophie is an international player, playing on both LPGA events and the LET. 


A bit of a break for most, as the next tournament will be on Aug. 20-22nd on the LPGA Tour. 

92nd PGA Championship @ Whistling Straights in Kohler, WI

This is the coveted trophy the winner will take home on sunday, August 15th. Y.E. Yang, the defending champion 
of this Championship beat out Tiger Woods to claim the title at Hazeltine last year. Can he do it again? Will Woods be a contender? Will Lefty get his game back to what it has been? These are the questions of many and like myself, one will only know by watching each round. I expect we will see some changes each and every round on the leaderboard. I do not think this will be a course or weather conditions conducive to someone holding lead position through 3 or all 4 rounds. 


This year the 92nd PGA Championship will be played at Whistling Straights in Kohler, WI.  This is a beautiful little area of Wisconsin for those that have not gotten the chance to visit. It is home of two fabulous courses; Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straights by course designer Pete Dye. I have gotten the chance to play Blackwolf Run a few years ago and was quite glad that the round was cut short by weather as my scorecard was less than acceptable! Whether some say it's more like an old Links course, it is certainly open and rugged. The winds of Wisconsin sweep across the terrain. Whether it's the deep pot bunkers, large sandy areas or undulating greens; Mother Nature will reign. The bonus is, on all 18 holes of Whistling Straights, you will get a great view of Lake Michigan. The course boasts bluffs, massive sand dunes and the fairways are of natural fescue. The elevation change alone on this course, is 80 feet. Half of the holes will hug the shoreline. Best known for it's signature hole, a par 3 #17 will have players hitting to a green over both the sand and water. 


Lee Westwood who is out with his calf injury, will miss this event and most likely the Ryder Cup as it looks now and as sources have speculated. Tiger Woods hasn't won a major in 2 yrs now. While his personal life unraveled last year, his game completely unraveled last week. He shot the worst round in his history as both an amateur & since turning professional. Today, Woods was seen with swing coach Sean Foley out on the course, who was videoing Woods from both a front and rear view. My recommendation, shave the mustache & goatee; I think it weighed him down last week. 
This is the same Sean Foley who works with Sean O'Hair and Hunter Mahan. By the way these two guys have been playing, it appears this was a wise decision for Woods. He will be paired with Y.E. Yang and Vijay Singh for the first two rounds. Another good pairing to watch will be Rickie Fowler and Justin Leonard, who will be joined by Ryo Ishikawa. Wisconsin native Steve Stricker will be paired with Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott, which will be a great 3 to keep an eye on! Lefty on the other hand, will be paired with two recent winners; Graeme McDowell & Louis Oostuizen. The goup just ahead of them will have Stenson, Z. Johnson & L. Glover. 


The big excitement is that for portions of the 1st & 2nd rounds, there will be some 3D provided by both TNT and on the PGA.com website. Now remember, you won't be able to see this by merely rushing out and buying 3D glasses. You must have a 3D TV or 3D compatible PC Screen. For only viewing portions of rounds 1 & 2, I won't be rushing out to obtain either. Regarding mobile apps; the best  is the one on the iPhone," PGA Championship". This allows you to watch live, see live leaderboard scoring, get the latest news,  set alerts for birdies, etc. It's one pretty package and it's FREE! Those like myself with the iPhone4, can see this in the clearest and best optimal viewing with the new retinal display, which is beyond phenomenal.


Coverage will be as follows:

Thu, August 12		1-8 PM ET
Fri, August 13		1-8 PM ET
Sat, August 14		11 AM-2 PM ET
		2-7 PM ET
Sun, August 15		11 AM-2 PM ET
		2-7 PM ET

The weather will be near 90 degrees at the start of the tourney and drop to around 80 degrees for Sunday's final round. Each day but Thursday are calling for the potential thunderstorms and/or showers. The midwest is getting more than their share of warmth and humidity and have had heat index at or above 100 & advisories in states just southern to Wisconsin. Either way, the anticipation of this tournament and the potential for someone to grab their first win, could easily become a reality! I'll be watching, will You? 




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

Mahan wins WCG Bridgestone, Bill Lunde wins Turning Stone!

Hunter Mahan not only won, but secured his place on the Ryder Cup team today at The WCG Bridgestone Invitational with a final round 64. He finished at -12, two strokes ahead of Ryan Palmer. Hunters last win was earlier this year in February at the Waste Management Open, where he shot a final round 65.

Tiger Woods however, had his worst finish ever with a final +18. He had not even shot a round over par since 2006. He was not alone, Phil shot a final round 78 to finish in 10th place. This was the first time that the two men both shot over 77 in the same round, since The British Open in the late 90's. Coincidence or not, it's very clear that young-guns are out to make a presence on the Tour.

On the East Coast, Bill Lunde was the one winning at Turning Stone after beating JJ Henry by one stroke. A true "cinderella" story if you will; Bill played on the Nationwide Tour, them walked away from the game after a very rough year in 2005. Luckily for him, a career in real estate didn't work out and he found himself heading to work with Butch Harmon. 2008 was not just his year he returned to golf, but the year he won a tournament than put him 5th on the money list and earned him his card on the 2009 PGA Tour. Wow, what a difference this 3 years made in this man's life. I think we can expect to see more wins in Bill's future! Well deserved Bill, well deserved!

The PGA Championship comes next, where Tiger is a co-favorite to win. Will he turn things around in one week, only time will tell. As with lefty, there is work to be done on the golf course.

Stone vs Stone, what's happening with the guys this week

While the talk is of Phil Mickelson becoming the worlds #1 in rankings with a win this week at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, people are also talking about Tiger's worst finish possibly occurring this week. Bubba Watson who went off the tee on the 9th hole, ended up putting his 2nd shot back over the trees and onto the green. He then did the same thing on the 10th, by going left and back toward the 9th fairway. This was the first time I had seen him repeat a horrible drive back to back. He came back as best he could, and finished at -5, in a tie for 10th. Alongside of him are; Lefty, K.Miyamoto, D.Johnson, N.Watney and O.Wilson.

Justin Leonard, another one to watch to be aggressive on Sunday, held the sole lead for a time before slipping back into 4th place at -7. He is joined by South African Ernie Els and P.Hanson. Matt Kuchar has 3rd place all to himself at -8.

In the lead we have a tie with R.Palmer & S.O'Hair at -9. Nike golfer Justin Leonard is the only NIKE golfer in the top 10 at Bridgestone. Further down the leader board, is fellow NIKE player Lucas Glover in a tie for 16th.





In another "Stone" as in Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona NY, A. Cejka holds the lead at -15. While we have a jam at 4th place, 2nd & 3rd place are held by C.Couch and B.Mayfair respectively. Rory Sabbatini made up some strokes and got it back to -10. Matt Kutcher won this last year however, he is not there to defend his title. Matt is making a play at another "Stone" event in Akron, OH.....WGC BridgeSTONE Initational as mentioned prior, and currently in 3rd place there.

Next up on the PGA Tour, is the PGA Championship in Kohler, WI. Whistling Straights will play host to this great tourney which has a purse of $7,500,000 and the winner pocketing a mere $1,350,000. Not a bad chunk of change eh? I would highly recommend iPhone users to download the free app "PGA Championship", which will keep you up to date by the minute!

Will Phil make up ground and become the world's #1 with a win? Will Matt Kutcher go for the win after making the decision he would not play at Turning Stone to defend his title? Will Tiger get it going on Sunday to defend his title, or will Ernie Els make a strong contender to beat them all? One thing is for sure, Sunday will prove to be an exciting day to follow both tournaments!

One last note, Lee Westwood who started playing in this week's tourney had to withdraw on friday due to the nagging calf injury he has. He also is losing out this week on a chance to have claimed world's #1 with a win @ Bridgestone. He will not play in The PGA Championship at Whistling Staights and he hopes to be well enough for the Ryder Cup, Oct 1-3rd. He knows the only cure now is rest, and he's going to finally give in to that recommendation from his physicians.