Golfgal on GFW

Never say never again...the Michelle Wie story

Two years ago, at the age of 16, Michelle Wie finished in the top five of three women’s majors, including a tie for 3rd at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was on the top of the world until a landslide hit and she tumbled down down down, until many people felt she would never gain ground again. I have to admit, I was one of those people. I hoped for the best, but deep inside I felt it was hopeless. But like all things in golf, you just never know...

Today, Michelle is starting to show some of her old spirit, perhaps due to a new love in her life or perhaps being a bit further from the iron apron strings of her parents or maybe it's just that Michelle Wie is growing up.

In two weeks, Michelle heads to Edina for the U.S. Women’s Open and she can hold her head up high again after finishing 6th in Germany two weeks ago and then second at a 36 hole sectional this past week with a score of -4.

“It feels really good to be playing well again,” Wie said on Monday. “It feels good to have confidence in my shots again. I feel like my distance is coming back. I’m pretty pleased, and I’m really happy to be playing at the U.S. Open.”

“I’ve put in a lot of hard work and I’m really glad to see that the results are starting to show heading into the U.S. Open,” Michelle continued. “I want to be in contention again. I want to feel the confidence. I want to feel like I’m the best player out there. I want to win.”

This week, Michelle Wie will tee it up at the Wegmans LPGA event (Lorena's defending) - a tour that Wie now says she'd be "honored" to play on. It would appear that Michelle is starting to think for herself. I would love to see Michelle in contention this week and I'd be thrilled to be in the postion of having to eat my past words when I thought her career was sadly over. 

I just love it when I'm wrong :)

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

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An ongoing quest to realize potential
By MARK CRAIG • [email protected]
Star Tribune
15 Jun 2008

Michelle Wie and Kevin Garnett are friends off the course and outside the ropes, brought together byWilliamMorrisAgency, aHollywood marketing firm that also serves, among others, tennis star SerenaWilliams, actor Russell Crowe and rapper 50 Cent. And...read more...

Tech Tags: Star Tribune newspaper Sportssunday Nba Finals

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Wie is on quest to realize potential

Star Tribune
15 Jun 2008

“I’m a big fan of Kevin Garnett’s,” Wie said. “I’ve never seen anyone with that much intensity. He just plays with so much intensity that when I see him on the court, I just think to myself, ‘I want to be like that.’ I want to make people think I have...read more...

Tech Tags: Star Tribune newspaper Sports

US Open Fever brings out the best and the worst

So...how does someone who's been off his game for weeks with knee surgery, limp up to greens that other players whine about and shoot 30 on his final 9 holes on Friday?  Amazing! We watch him start with two double bogies on day 1 and end the second day like that.  Wow!  Kind of leaves you speechless, doesn't it?

But as amazing as Tiger ended his round on Friday, what I really loved was watching him, Phil and Adam Scott play the last 2 days together and all struggle at some point in their game.

It's not like I wish anyone a bad game, but I have to say that I just love watching the pros having to really really work for a living.  Makes them look human.  Those regular tournament -20 wins are just too boring.   US Open wins coming in at just a couple under par are the best!

This week...watching Phil struggle off the tee was fun.  It allowed us to see his amazing short game, which probably wouldn't have been as exciting if he's hit more fairways.  Wasn't that flop shot/long putt combo just unbelievable on number 6? 

This is what I love about the US Open. 

1.  It's OPEN - anyone can try and qualify.  Perfect for a Cinderella story.

2.  It's hard - Look at this cut list!  I'm shocked to see names like Zach Johnson, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson on this list, especially when 3 amateurs make it into the weekend.

3.  It brings out the best and worst in players and spectators alike.

The Best: 

- Watching Jimenez shoot a 66 on day 2. 

- Watching Tiger shoot 30 on his back nine. 

- Watching Ernie finally make a top 10 going into the weekend.

- Watching Davis Love III play so well after having to qualify for this event after missing the Masters.

The Worst:

- Phil playing without a driver and altered 3 wood and missing fairway after fairway after fairway. (BTW...he's using a driver on day 3).   I liked what Judy Rankin said during the commentary - "Phil over strategizes."

- Adam Scott missing a tap-in putt by being careless.

- Adam Scott's caddie having to confront a drunken man and his son during play (and subsequently getting them arrested) - and they call this a gentleman's sport.

- Listening to the whining of some of my fave players over the poa greens. 

Stephen Ames:  "They were good this morning, but they’re going to be horrendous this afternoon."  I wonder if he watched Tiger's run at the end of the day on those 'horrendous greens' :)

Mike Weir:  “These greens are so unpredictable it’s tough to get on a real roll with your putting.  I mean, at Muirfield if you get a putt on line it just tracks right in. But here. . .’’

Give me a break!  Tiger doesn't even like poa greens and he didn't do too badly on Friday.  In fact, he doesn't play Pebble Beach in February anymore because he doesn't really like poa (or maybe he just hates 6 hour Pro-Am rounds :))

Anyway, enough of my whining :) ... it's been a great two days of play and it appears that's it's only going to get better. The leader, Stuart Appleby, is playing well and is used to these greens. Tiger's limping between shots, but there's nothing limp about his game.

It's such a tight race and anything can happen.  I wouldn't mind an upset at all - just makes the game that much more exciting.  After all...double bogeys happen more often than eagles at US Opens. 

Golfgal

www.golfgal.com   

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Poa golfers in for bumpy ride at Torrey Pines
DAVE PERKINS
Toronto Star
14 Jun 2008

LA JOLLA, CALIF. United States Open greens, by definition, are supposed to be more scary than an MLSE search committee. Their speed is likened to putting down your car hood, or in your bathtub. Every year, the putting surfaces are the subject of...read more...

Tech Tags: Toronto Star newspaper Sports

Michelle Wie winding her way back

Well, just when we were about to write her off, Michelle Wie surprises us with a 6th place finish at the Ladies German Open in Munich this weekend. This was Michelle's first career appearance on the  Ladies European Tour (a sponsor invitation) and only her 3rd event of the season.

Wie posted a five-under 67 on Sunday - starting strong by chipping in for eagle and then scoring four birdies and 1 bogey to post her best score of the week.

With a 14 under final score, Wie showed some of her old game this weekend and was pleased with her performance,
"I feel a lot more confident about my game. I think a person's greed means that you always want something more. If you look at my score, 14-under-par, I'm very happy with it, but at the same time I could have done better."

Yes, I'd say that's true...the 18 year-old fell nine shots off the lead after carding a 2-under-par 70 in Saturday’s third round.  "It was very frustrating and I couldn’t get anything going," Wie said. "I hit a couple of irons a bit longer than I thought. I left a lot out there, so hopefully tomorrow I can go low."

Well, given her performance over the past year, I'd say Michelle should be pretty happy with 6th.

And...for those of you who are following the Big Break coverage, you'll be happy to know that LPGAFan shared in a comment earlier that Samantha Head and Sophie Sandolo were in the field and played well. Sam ended T16 at -10 and Sophie finished T44 at -2.

Well done ladies!  We'll see you Tuesday night on Big Break Ka'anapali.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com Michelle Wie photo by: © Photogolfer | Dreamstime.com

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Wie cracks top 10 at Ladies German Open

Times Colonist
02 Jun 2008

MUNICH — Michelle Wie took a positive step forward yesterday, finishing in sixth place at the Ladies German Open. The 18-year-old Wie, who has failed to live up to the hype, shot a 2-under-par 64 in the final round. Wie finished at 14-under 274...read more...

Tech Tags: Times Colonist newspaper Sports

Top 10 Amateur Golfer Mistakes According to the LPGA'ers

Last month, the LPGA was in Aventura for the Stanford International Pro-Am – an event not unlike the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am. A number of LPGA stars were on hand to share what they thought were the most common mistakes amateurs make.  After Cristie Kerr’s quip, “Where do you want me to start?”, these great ladies of golf shared their top ten.

Take a look and see how many apply to you.

Rank	Amateur Mistake	Shared by	Comments
1	Their expectations are too high.	Annika Sorenstam Morgan Pressel	"This is a tough game, and it’s tough (even) when you play every day.  If you only play once a week or once a month, don’t have such high expectations." Pressel added, "People will get upset over shots that you know if they stopped counting their score, they would be perfectly happy with.  So you say: ‘Look, you hit a great shot. Don’t complain that it’s 10 feet (from the hole) instead of two feet."
2	Their practice priorities are backward: Most amateurs aren’t very good putters.	Leta Lindley	"I think they spend most of their (practice) time on the driving range."
3	They swing too hard.	Meg Mallon	"Have you ever seen Freddie Couples swing really hard at a golf ball? And how far does he hit it?"
4	They don’t finish their backswing.	Nancy Lopez	"I always tell them to finish the backswing before they start the downswing."
5	They don’t take enough club with their irons.	Juli Inkster Meg Mallon	"A lot of them, they don’t get to play much.  They just want to come out here and hit it." Mallon agrees, "They hit that one 8-iron 160 yards one time and they think they can do that all the time."
6	They don’t pay attention to course management.	Annika Sorenstam	"I see this a lot at my academy in Orlando.  I take our guests out and I do course management. It’s almost like they don’t plan ahead; they think because they’re on the tee it means driver. I always tell them to think about where they want to hit their second shot from.  You’ve got to think ahead before you just hit it."
7	They don’t have proper speed on their putts	Annika Sorenstam	"They focus so much on the line sometimes that they don’t think about the speed.  To me, speed is almost more important than the line, because if you don’t have the speed, it really doesn’t matter."
8	They have too much body movement.	Leta Lindley	"I see a lot of movement on their short-game shots, whether it’s putting or chipping.  All that movement – if they could keep their bodies still a little bit better, then their short game’s going to improve a lot."
9	They’re in too big a rush	Meg Mallon	"I think that’s the biggest thing that they do.  And they try to do things that they’re not comfortable doing. Stay in your comfort zone. We (pros) have to do the same thing."
10	They don’t have fun.	Annika Sorenstam	"I do this for a living and they don’t, so I try to make that clear. They’re very good at what they do, and I happen to be decent at what I do. Let’s just have fun. You play to your level and I’ll play to mine. Enjoy the fun format and the facility."

For me, #1 is absolutely #1. I have such a hard time managing my expectations on the course. Not only do I expect to be able to take my range game to the course (which never happens), it is not uncommon for me to birdie a hole and double bogey the next because of unrealistic expectations. I once did a whole post around just this challenge, that even the pros like Mike Weir struggle with...

As for the rest, I think I regularly struggle with 5 or 6 of them.  Sigh...will this game ever get any easier?  Time for me to get back to the GFW Challenge for help.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

A weekend of golf surprises - Eastwood style

What a weekend in golf!  At the risk of stealing from our good golf buddy, Clint, there was good golf (no...actually there was great golf)...there was bad golf...and there was just butt-ugly golf!

First let's start with the great.  That has to be Annika taking the LPGA's "fifth major", the Michelob Ultra Open  by not 1, not by 3, not even by 5...nope - 7 whole strokes - blowing Karrie Webb's tournament record out of the water by five shots!

And what makes it even more impressive is that the world's number one, Lorena was in the field, closing at tied for 12th (yup, outside the top 10) and Paula Creamer, last week's winner at the SemGroup Championship with a T16 with defending champion, Suzann Petterson.

I said it at the beginning of the year that Lorena needs to watch out because Annika is back!   Now before you get all out of sorts about my feelings about the great LO...no doubt... Lorena is definitely the world's number one and will be number one for the unforeseeable future.  But sometimes "hunger" is tougher than youth + talent and there is no one more hungry and more determined to prove she's still got it than Annika Sorenstam.  So let's cheer with the greatest female golfer that we've seen to date and then let Lorena take the grandstand going forward.  Today...Annika Sorenstam is Queen of the Links!

Yes, it was a great weekend for the LPGA, even if I didn't get to watch it on cable - grrrrr :-(

I heard that Australian Katherine Hull shot a 2 on the Par 5 7th hole - yup...double eagle!  It's only the 29th double eagle in the history of the LPGA Tour.  Who in the heck is Katherine Hull?  Well, she tied for 6th at this event - her best this year.  In her 9 starts this year, she's missed 4 cuts.  But hey...we all have bad days.  This week, she's going down in history.  So I say, "Enjoy it Katherine.  I hope we see you up there on the leaderboard at the MacDonald's in June.

And one more thing...before I move on to the men...I have to give a great big kudos and Internet hug to Christina Kim - one of my faves who came in tied for 2nd with Allison Fouch, Karen Stupples and Jeong Jang this weekend.  Well done CK!  I not only love you for your spunk and tenacity, you have the same initials as my golfguy :).

So the women were great this weekend even if half of North America couldn't watch them.  But the men were pretty spectacular too. 

If I had to pick anyone more hungry than Annika this week for a win, it would be Sergio Garcia who won The Players in a playoff against the very lovable and, witty and self-deprecating Paul Goydos.  I didn't get to watch today's round as I was enjoying myself on one my favorite courses in Vancouver BC - Northview Canal - the home of the Air Canada Canadian Open.  It was only 48 degrees when we teed off at noon, but it was a wonderful afternoon on a wonderful course that any tourist to Vancouver just has to play! I'll do a review of it soon and hope some day you'll get to enjoy it as much as I do.

Now back to Sergio...I have been a fan of Sergio since the first time I watched him hit a drive.  I'm not amused by his antics like spitting in the cup or whining about bad breaks at the Open, but I still think he is a phenomenal player and a passionate human being who just needs to channel his passions in the right direction.  It also doesn't hurt that he's too cute for words - Spanish accent and all!

Sergio is good - just plain and simple - he's really really good.  His putting has kept him back from reaching his real potential (last win was in 2005), but he's still really really good.  The media took him to the cleaners after last year's British Open when he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington, but after this weekend, perhaps they may start to eat their words.  His game was "on" - Yes...even his putting.  It appears that his short game has been rejuvinated with his new putting coach, Stan Utley, an ex-PGA winner himself, who said he was just there as Sergio's cheerleader now.  Sergio is back - Tiger - watch out.  I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the US Open at Torrey Pines.

So, we had some very pleasant surprises with Annika and Sergio winning, but...oh...let's not forget Hennie Otto winning the Italian Open today - a golfer who lost his card last year coming back to win a pretty big tournament against some of the best European golfers.. It was great to see that Cinderella story.

But we also had some pretty ugly surprises today too - like Phil Mickelson shooting a 78 on the final day.  Gulp!  The defending champion, second only to Tiger in the rankings, shot a 78!  I wish I had seen that - no...then again..maybe not.

And then our hunk of the month, Adam Scott shot an 80! Ouch!!! Okay...that really hurt.  Let's pretend that didn't happen and move on.... 

So we had some great golf and some bad golf and some really ugly golf, but what we really had was some unforgettable "Come Back Tomorrow" golf, because like the Energizer Bunny, the PGA and LPGA and European Tour just keep on ticking and ticking and ticking.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Sergio Photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com

And the Anonymous PGA Tour Survey Said...

Recently Sports Illustrated surveyed 72 PGA Tour players, who were promised anonymity, to find out how they felt about the PGA, other players, wives of players, politics, caddies, etc.  I found some the results quite interesting.  Check these out and let me know what you think:

How would you describe Kelly Tilghman's two-week suspension by Golf Channel?
Appropriate: 43%
Not long enough: 13%
Too long: 7%
Cop-out by Golf Channel: 37%

Now what does this say?  Is Kelly liked by the a majority of players?  Given that 56% thought she should have been suspended for her comments about Tiger (even though Tiger wasn't upset), that makes me think that she's not all that well liked by the boys.  But what surprised me was that 37% thought it was a cop-out by TGC.  I wonder if the number would have been that high if the survey had not been anonymous - I highly doubt it.

Do you understand how FedEx Cup points are distributed?
Yes: 68%
No: 32%

I wish someone in the 68% would explain it to me.

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem is paid $5.2 million a year. Which best describes your feelings?
Overpaid: 30%
Appropriate: 32%
Underpaid: 3%
Don't care: 35%

Let's compare that to LPGA commissioner, Carolyn Bivens, who makes about 10% of $5.2M No, let's not - it's just too depressing.

Have you ever been hungover during a Tour round?
Yes: 50%
No: 50%

Well well well... the "YES" result is much higher than I would have expected.  Should make John Daly feel a little bit better, but worries me a tad.  We're not talking about a round with buddies - this is their career.  How many of us go to work with hangovers - Oh...right...nevermind ;) 

Do you know any pro golfers who have used performance-enhancing drugs?
Yes: 6%
No: 94%

I wonder if the 4 "yes" players are talking about themselves.

Who is the best caddie on Tour? (Can't choose your own.)
Steve Williams. (Tiger Woods): 52%
Jim MacKay. (Phil Mickelson): 15%
Others receiving multiple votes: Damon Green (Zach Johnson), Eric Larson (Marc Calcavecchia), Alistair Matheson (Geoff Ogilvy), Tony Navarro (Adam Scott), Fanny Sunesson (Henrik Stenson), John Wood (Hunter Mahan), "anyone who puts up with Vijay" (currently Chad Reynolds)

Haha...I guess Vijay isn't easy to work for.  I just love that Fanny is in this list!  I think she is so cool and seems like such a nice person.  And I love Henrik and Nick Faldo for giving her the opportunity to play with the big boys.

Who's the biggest gossip on Tour?
Caddies: 27%
Sharon (Fred) Funk: 15%
Kimberly (Brian) Gay: 15%
Charles Warren: 11%
Other receiving multiple votes: Joe Ogilvie, Amy (Rory) Sabbatini, Rory Sabbatini, Jeff Sluman

Hmmm...I definitely wouldn't want to be named in this notorious list.  Both Roy and his wife seem to be talkers - Surprise surprise!

But the question that shocked me the most, was...

Would rather you be paired with Tiger or Phil?

Woods: 87%
Mickelson: 13%

I really wish there was a "Why?" at the end of this question.  One could speculate that players expect Tiger to be in the final group and so playing with him means you're in contention OR it could mean that not a lot of players like Lefty.  There's always been rumours that Phil isn't the most loved player on the tour, but I've also seen players like DiMarco say that's garbage.   I don't know...these stats speak volumes to me.

Well, so where's the LPGA Tour survey?  I'd love to see what the ladies have to say, wouldn't you?  Maybe we should put together the questions and submit them through GFW.  I know one question I'd really like to ask the ladies...

Who's the sexiest player today on the PGA:

Adam Scott
Trevor Immelman
Ian Poulter
Sergio Garcia
Camillo Villegas
Tiger Woods
Other ___________

It always surprises me that we don't see more romances between the LPGA and PGA players given how much they have in common.  Sure their tour schedules get in the way, but they do cross paths from time to time.  Just think of baby golfers that could be produced from an Adam Scott/Paula Creamer pairing.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Will the Olympics be Golf's next major?

It's funny how a topic comes up every 6 months or so and everyone gets on a bandwagon, but nothing ever seems to get done.  Well, maybe now that PGA Tour  commissioner Tim Finchem has finally announced his support of golf being an Olympic sport, it just might happen.

Golf was part of the Olympics in 1900 and 1904, but some dorks (I'm using a Christina Lecuyer term of endearment here :)) decided all that should change and so 104 years later, we're still debating an issue which should be a no-brainer..

Last fall Phil Mickelson came forward and said “I think if golf became an Olympic sport, it would help golf on a global basis." 

Ernie Els and Nick Faldo are somewhat supportive but think it should be for the  top amateurs only.  But the Olympic Committee has made it clear they don't want golf unless the world's best players would compete and that means Tiger Woods.

Unfortunately, Tiger shares Els' and Faldo's view, making it clear he wouldn't compete, "It would be great to have an Olympic gold medal," he said, "but if you asked any player, 'Would you rather have an Olympic gold medal or green jacket or Claret Jug', more players would say the majors."

Hmmm...I wonder about that...

Look what the last Claret Jug winner Padraig Harrington said, "Some golfers say we now have four majors and that is enough. But the four majors were not the four majors 70 years ago. You never know, in 50 years maybe the Olympics will be the No. 1 major. It has to start somewhere. I would put in on my schedule now."

I like the way you think Padraig!

There are lots of arguments against golf in the Olympics and its effect on sponsors and the PGA Tour in its prime schedule.  But I agree with USGA Executive Director David Fay who, like Lefty, says we have to think globally, "Golf in the Olympics could grow the game worldwide, particularly in places where it's not that big. Take countries like Croatia or Russia. In order to jump-start interest and support of the sport in these countries, you need money. The best way to get that is through two sources —- your government or the national Olympic committee, For these countries, there's no substitute for it being an Olympic medal sport."

Anything that grows interest in golf gets my full support.  And anything that can grow interest in women's golf gets my undying gratitude!   Apparently the LPGA has previously indicated their support, so hopefully women and men will be on the Olympic greens together in 2012.

But you just never know...2010 is full of controversy over women's ski jumpers not being allowed to compete in Vancouver.  Surely the IOC wouldn't make two sexual discrimation blunders in one decade. 

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Icon image by: © Sabri Deniz Kizil | Dreamstime.com

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Clearing hazards for an Olympic tee time
Nicole Jeffery Golf Additional reporting: Agencies
The Australian
17 Apr 2008

THE sport’s push for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games gained momentum yesterday with the endorsement of USPGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. The co-operation of the allpowerful USPGA Tour is essential if the sport is to return to the Games after an...read more...

Tech Tags: The Australian newspaper Sport

Ryder Cup 2008 - Let the mud-slinging begin!

I'm not sure if you read the story last week about US Ryder Cup Captain, Paul Azinger taking pot shots at European Captain, Nick Faldo, but it resulted a lot of indignation by many golf analysts and commentators on The Golf Channel and in the golf forums.  Whether you like this kind of tabloid talk or not, it does makes headlines and it does create drama...lots and lots of drama - very "Big Break-like".

Now, before we start throwing flaming golf balls at the guys for misbehaving, we golfgals should look at our own Solheim Cup antics and remember some mud wrestling of the female kind...

Remember the Irish Independent's story about Catrin Nilsmark's remarks about Cristie Kerr being a "brat" and Michelle Redman "having no talent"? 

And what about Laura Davies saying she was friends with everyone on the US Solheim Cup team last year, except for "one".  That really got us going - who was that "one"?  Rumour has it that it was Nicole Castrale, but it really doesn't matter.  I think Laura planted that statement for a reason -- drama.

Anyway, it would appear that even with Azinger's back peddling on the comments made about Nick Faldo in the Daily Mail, some European Ryder Cup members are not taking it lying down.

Lee Westwood, who is looking very fit these days and seems to be in a bit of a resurgence with his game (coincidence?), took no time stepping forward to defend his captain, "I don’t know why you’d stir it unless you were worried about the outcome.  I think he [Azinger] must be trying to wind us up."

However, Westwood was quick to speculate that perhaps Azinger was just trying to create some early media attention for the Ryder Cup, "It must have been tongue in cheek. Nobody would be writing about the Ryder Cup just now if there wasn’t a bit of mud-slinging.   It does sound like playground stuff. Next it will be my daddy's bigger than your daddy. Comments like that can't be serious."

So is Westwood brushing it off?  Or is he trying to stir the pot a little more himself?

In reference to Azinger's comments that Faldo being unpopular with a generation of golfers, Westwood countered, "I think everybody gets on with Nick. There's no European who's better respected. I’ve played with him in the Ryder Cup and he's great to play with."

Darren Clarke, who is also showing some of his old talent these days shared, "They've obviously had a few clashes in the past, and you know Zinger's a very fiery personality – that's the way he is. The two of them don’t see eye to eye – that’s pretty much public knowledge. He's [Faldo] a six-time major champion and the best player we’ve ever had. Whether people like him or loathe him – and it's pretty obvious you have people in both camps – you cannot disrespect at any stage what he has done in the game. His record speaks for itself. He is a legend in the game of golf."

Anyway...I can't wait to find out what Monty has to say about all of this.  Apparently, Faldo texted Azinger after reading the original article with this little jab, "Zinger, I read this whole article and you don't like Monty more than me, do you?"

I'm not sure who will win the "mudder" award this season - The Big Break Ka'anapali or the Ryder Cup.  All I know is, I'll be following every minute of it -- aaaaand loving it!

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Flaming golf ball from © Tom Schmucker | Dreamstime.com

We need more women like these in golf media

After so many Michelle Wie and John Daly exemptions resulting in missed cuts, sometimes sponsor's exemptions can put a bad taste in your mouth,  But here is an exemption I'm really happy to see! 

Stephanie Sparks, best known for her co-host role on the Big Break has been offered a sponsor's exemption to the 2008 Ginn OPEN, April 14-20, and...she's accepted, back surgeries and all!  Well done Stephanie!

Sparks was an All-American at Duke University from 1992 to 1994.  Before turning pro in 1996 and joining the FUTURES tour, she won quite a few amateur events, including the Women's Western Amateur Champion, Women's Eastern Amateur Champion, Women's North and South Champion, and West Virginia State Amateur Champion.  She joined the LPGA in 2000, but back problems shortened her career before it really had a chance to take off.   

I really enjoyed the Vince/Stephanie combo on The Big Break.  Like Golf for Women's Stina Sternberg, Stephanie is great in front of a camera - she's stylish, beautiful and athletic and the camera loves her.  She's not the calendar girl type like Natalie Gulbis, and she doesn't have the same "quick come backs" that Kelly Tilghman has (that sometimes gets her into trouble), but she is a solid analyst and commentator and I'd like to see more of her on The Golf Channel or even network television like Dottie Pepper.

Now...Dottie Pepper...there's one talented woman, golfer and TV analyst. I am so impressed with her. She can play with the boys and hold her own without a flinch. You never see her intimidated by being the lone golfgal in a field of male players, commentators, reporters and other analysts.  To me she and Johnny Miller are the best analysts out there - a great team - even when they step in it with their Ben Hogan puking and chokin freakin dogs blunders.  I love it when they're calling the action.

Anyway, I was really pleased to see today that Dottie will be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall-of-Fame this May.  No surprise, given she helped Furman to 4 straight appearances at the NCAA Championships, including three top four finishes. She was a star amateur golfer with many accolades and a star LPGA'er in her own right winning 17 LPGA titles.  She was on 6 U.S. Solheim Cup teams and a fierce competitor.

Now, what I'd like to see is more of Stephanie and Stina on The Golf Channel and other sports TV stations.   Both Stephanie and Stina made the Golf With Style shows fun and entertaining and made you want to play at every venue they visited. 

I am really looking forward to Stina co-hosting the Big Break Ka'anpali, which kicks off April 15th.  The previews look great and I'll bet this Big Break garners the largest audience ever.

Anyway, ladies...you may not realize it, but you are an inspiration to young women entering sports media careers.  My niece is one of those and I know she's watching you and loving it!

Golfgal

There's room for golf in baseball

On a lighter note today, I wanted to share with you a story I read in the Los Angeles Times on Monday.  I don't know if you are a baseball fan (I'm a huge Seattle Mariners fan), but if you are, you might enjoy this bit of trivia.

Seattle Mariners Manager John McLaren ran "American Idol" segments during team meetings last week, where players were selected to sing or tell a joke.  For those who didn't want to participate, they were encouraged to "offer McLaren a bribe". 

What was the bribe?  Golf balls!  Ha ha... Apparently McLaren loves golf and given his idea of a bribe, I would guess that he has a game that requires the constant input of new balls on a regular basis.  I'd like to follow him in a round one day and just look for his lost balls - the only balls he will accept as currency are Titleist Pro V1s or Pro V1X or Nike One platinums.

He pushed his "incentive" program even further at batting practice.  During bunting drills players could earn a day off by hitting the ball into one of two circles.  They had 30 turns at bat and had to hit the circle six times.   If they failed, they had to buy McLaren a sleeve of golf balls. 

Only Raul Ibanez and my fave player (Ichiro Suzuki, who I enjoyed watching play golf last year at my local course) didn't have to go ball shopping.  Just take a look at their active roster...that's a lot of balls!

I found this all very funny.  I am going to the Seattle Mariners Opening Game at the end of March (I go every year to get the fridge magnet :)) and would love it if Titleist or Nike would provide everyone at the game, sponge versions of their golf balls so fans could throw them on the field when a player strikes out.  Nike is already involved with the Mariners and Ichiro, so wouldn't that be a great promotional idea for both the team and the ball manufacturer?

Just a thought...

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com