Tee to Green August 2013

2013 MAJOR REVIEW ISSUE

TEE TO GREEN

August 2013 www.tee2green.co.za

7 Pages of highlights, lowlights and everything in between

TRAVEL Major courses you can play PG

PROFILE Golf’s greatest showman

YOUR FREE COPY 123053 - Platinum WCC 50x225-Repro.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

34

1

2013/06/12

7:59 AM

PG

8

Timesquare 14940

24 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER CASH IN ON OUR

BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR

AT ALL MEGASTORES NATIONWIDE

SA’s BIG GOLF DISCOUNTER www.golfersclub.co.za

14940 - GolfersClub Tea to Green FullPageAds 2.indd 1

7/26/13 3:03 PM

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

TEE TO GREEN www.tee2green.co.za

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dennis Bruyns bruyns@icon.co.za teetogreen@ballyhoomedia.co.za PUBLISHER Eric Bornman eric@ballyhoomedia.co.za CREATIVE DIRECTOR Steven Macbeth FINANCIAL MANAGER Morgan Lufumpa CONTRIBUTORS Theo Bezuidenhout, Dave Edwards, Wayne Westner PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images/ Gallo Images, Sunshine Tour/Gallo Images, Supplied Ballyhoo Media Company Reg No 2007/207595/23 14 6TH Street, Parkhurst, Johannesburg South Africa, 2193 PO Box 3125, Parklands, 2121 Tel: 086 111 4626 Fax: 086 6706429 Printed by Paarl Coldset Tee to Green is published monthly

by Ballyhoo Media.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of either parties. No responsibility is accepted for errors as all information was believed to be correct at the time of print. Copyright subsists on all content within this publication. Any reproduction without consent is strictly prohibited and may constitute a criminal offence.

W

ith prize money in the millions and favourable exchange rates, Team SA is laughing all the way to the bank.

The Majors of 2013 have come and gone and those punters who followed my predictions – well, your money has also gone.

Phil Mickelson was on my list of winners, but I got the tournament wrong. I always see him as a Masters champion and certainly not a winner on the other side of the Atlantic.

Also, I was confident that one of our fine South African players would take a title, but this was not to be.

The period from the middle of June through to early August is the most lucrative time in world golf. Three of the four Majors are played in this 10 week period as well as the World Golf Championship at Firestone. If there is

a time a world class player wants to hit his best form, this is it.

Although some of our Team SA may have found the competition somewhat too hot, all in all the period under review has again been most rewarding for the team. Unfortunately, two of our best ‘Major’ players were absent with injury – Retief Goosen not playing at all and Louis Oosthiuizen forced to withdraw from The Open Championship and still to return to the fairways.

Unfortunately, two of our best ‘Major’ players were absent with injury

Veteran Ernie Els (I am sure he will give me a hard time for referring to him as such) again showed that there is no substitute for experience, and was the only tournament winner (bagging a more than R9-million). It has also been a particularly lucrative time for Richard Sterne and, thanks to some high place finishes, he has made in excess of R7-million.

Only official prize money earned on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour is used in these calculations.

A breakdown of each player’s earnings to date is in the table below.

Dennis Bruyns Editor-in-Chief

PRIZE MONEY WEEK 13-21

PRIZE MONEY WEEK 22-31

TOTAL

Louis Oosthuizen

R5,742,652

R3,346,235

R866,288

R9,955,175

Charl Schwartzel

R8,705,529

R5,516,915

R5,204,522

R19,426,966

R2,959,191

R4,867,495

R9,254,135

R17,079,821

Branden Grace

R3,476,720

R4,123,217

R5,595,638

R13,195,575

George Coetzee

R4,956,555

R1,159,782

R650,767

R6,767,104

R7,011,903

R1,328,501

R7,396,401

R15,736,805

R7,264,648

R4,060,414

R378,898

R11,703,960

R5,191,132

R151,965

R803,309

R6,146,406

Jaco van Zyl

R4,745,366

R300,987

R714,567

R5,760,920

Retief Goosen

R2,572,056

R654,649

Nil

R3,226,705

Thomas Aiken

R4,487,689

R2,054,553

R235,354

R7,137,596

Garth Mulroy

R1,851,720

R461,326

R597,748

R2,910,794

R59,325,161

R28,026,039

R31,696,627

R119,047,827

Richard Sterne

Got something to get off your chest? Have something good (or bad) to say about the paper? Any feedback is welcome so go ahead and mail us on teetogreen@ ballyhoomedia.co.za. The winning letter will receive a pair of Tag Heuer sunglasses.

FORE WORD

PRIZE MONEY WEEK 0 - 12

PLAYER

Ernie Els

FOLLOW THROUGH

1

Tim Clark Darren Fichardt

TOTAL

eyewear in motion * RACER Curved and wrap-around shape Frame and temples in very light Composite material high sensitive photoChromiC lenses

Sport Vision 011.836.0241. www.picotandmoss.co.za

2

news

A

lmost 250 architects voted in the Architects’ Choice Top-100 Golf Courses rankings ballot, carried out by Golf Course Architecture, the world’s leading source for information on golf design and development. The Old Course came top comfortably, followed in second

by Alister MacKenzie’s Cypress Point Club in California, and in third by Pine Valley.

Euan Loudon, chief executive of St Andrews Links, said: “We are thrilled to learn that the Old Course has been voted number one in the Architects’ Choice Top0-100 Golf Courses poll. It is a wonderful achievement to be recognised in such a definitive and informed ranking.

We are blessed with unparalleled history, but do not rest on our laurels and are committed to improving and enhancing the golfer’s experience at the Links.

“Achieving the top spot in this poll is fitting testimony to the work of

cruise the course in style

Mercedes-Benz’s solar-powered concept golf cart PG

Old Course No1 The Old Course at St Andrews has been named the world’s number one course by a unique poll of professional golf course architects from all over the globe.

GOlf COurSe ArChiTeCTS TOp 10 COurSeS: 1. St Andrews Old Course (Course evolved since golf first played there in early 1400s) 2. Cypress Point, California, USA (Alister MacKenzie, Robert Hunter, 1928) 3. Pine Valley, New Jersey, USA (George Crump, Harry Colt, 1919) 4. Augusta National, Georgia, USA (Alister MacKenzie, Bobby Jones, 1933) 5. National Golf Links of America, New York, USA (Charles Blair MacDonald, 1911) 6. Royal County Down, Northern Ireland (George Baillie, Tom Morris, 1889)

7. Shinnecock Hills, New York, USA (Willie Davis, William Flynn, 1894) 8. Pebble Beach, California, USA (Jack Neville, Douglas Grant, 1919) 9. Royal Dornoch, Inverness, Scotland (Tom Morris, John Sutherland, 1886) 10. Royal Melbourne (West) Victoria, Australia (Alister MacKenzie, Alex Russell, 1931) According to the almost 250 golf course architects from 28 countries who voted, no South African course featured in the top-100 in the world as compiled by the golf course architects.

5

the greenkeeping team at the Links.

When you see the calibre of the courses from around the world included in the Architects’ Choice Top-100 you can appreciate that a great deal of hard work goes into delivering the Old Course in top condition for the thousands of people who wish to play it every year. Recognition such as this is something of which St Andrews and everyone associated with the Links can be proud.”

Architects from 28 countries voted in the poll, and 14 countries are represented in the final Top-100 listing. Golf Course Architecture editor Adam Lawrence said: “We believe that golf architects, who have spent their lives studying the greatest courses and trying to live up to them, are uniquely well placed to identify those that are the best in the world. The Old Course has, throughout golf ’s history, inspired the work of the best architects, and it continues to do so today. It’s fitting that it should be No 1.

4 news on tour

Euphoric maiden victory for Bruiners r95,000 in the bank – and one year exemption for heinrich Bruiners.

“I

had a chat with a buddy as we arranged to get to the next pre-qualifier together, now I’m going to text him, and tell him I’ll be getting there a little later.” Heinrich Bruiners after his maiden Sunshine Tour win in the R600,000 Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Euphoria.

That’s what happens when you win a Tour event, as Bruiners is now exempt from qualifying at all Sunshine Tour events until the end of 2014. It was an extraordinary win in many ways: he became the first player (since Tim Clark won the South African Open Championship in 2002) to go on and win the tournament after having to qualify for it; it was also only the second time in his career that he finished inside the top 10 – he shared fifth in the Polokwane Classic in June; and he overcame injuries caused by a horrific motor accident, which kept him out of golf for the whole of 2011.

“I’m thinking of my father at this time,” he said a little tearfully afterwards. “He was one of the only people who believed I’d come back from the injuries and be able to win.”

Bruiners liked the course at Euphoria Golf Estate so much that he said it almost felt like cheating as he marched to his commanding five-stroke victory in the R600,000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event.

“It’s a lot like the course I learned my golf on at Fancourt,” said Bruiners after his maiden victory as a professional. “You have to be straight off the tees and good off the fairways, and I certainly felt comfortable with those aspects of my play all week.”

Bruiners started as nervously as he thought he would when he held the overnight lead by four strokes. He made pars on the first two holes, but then consecutive bogeys on three and four seemed to have put the skids under his victory charge.

“To be honest, I was actually quite relaxed, but I was shaky on the opening holes,” he said. “And when I made those two bogeys in a row, I told myself to go back to the processes which had worked all week for me.”

The pressure at that stage was compounded by players like Jake Roos

and Adilson Da Silva – both multiple winners on the Sunshine Tour – making as much of a charge as the difficult 7,040m Annika Sorenstamdesigned course allowed on a cold, blustery, and even rainy day.

That he had made only one bogey so far during the tournament – and only two during the pre-qualifier – added to the pressure he was feeling as he approached the turn, but Bruiners responded with a precision chip to inside two feet on 18 and a tap-in birdie to encourage him for the homeward nine.

But a bogey on 10 quickly deflated him, and, as Roos birdied 12 up ahead of him, his overnight lead had shrunk to one, and it appeared probable he would have to concede victory to the experience of his opponents.

“I’d felt so pumped by the birdie on nine, so it was disappointing to make the bogey on 10,” he said. “I three-putted there – just about putted it off the green!”

But he hit back with his only eagle of the tournament just when he needed it. He got down in three on the 530m par-5 12th, and then followed it up with a birdie three on the 13th – and the gap had suddenly become wide enough for him to have some breathing room.

“I watched the other guys using a 3-wood off the tee on 12, but I stuck to my 3-iron like I did all week,” he said. “I hit 3-iron, 3-iron to 18 or 20 feet, and then made the putt, and I just felt all the pressure dissolve.”

The birdie on 13 was all he needed as his pursuers now had too much to do, and he was able to coast to victory.

ClassiC Glendower to host open The SouTh AfricAn open chAmpionShip goes back to the classics with the announcement that the 103rd playing of the second oldest open Championship will be hosted by the prestigious Glendower Golf Club from 21 to 24 november. no stranger to top level championship golf, Glendower staged the country’s flagship event in 1989, 1993 and 1997. the 18-hole championship course has been home to the sunshine tour’s annual BMG Classic since 2009. south africa’s Clinton whitelaw won the 1993 edition, but the

course was kinder to the international visitors on the other two occasions. american Fred wadsworth became only the fourth foreign winner of the sa open since it’s inauguration in 1903 when he outplayed countryman tom lehman to lift the title in 1989. in 1997, Fijian Vijay singh held off Zimbabwe’s nick price in a titanic battle to claim the title. the course has also provided the backdrop to some of south africa’s flagship amateur championships, including the 1986 women’s

72-hole teams Championship, 1987 sa amateur and sa stroke play Championships, the 1993 sa Mens inter-provincial and the sa women’s amateur and sa stroke play Championships in 2003. “we are delighted to announce Glendower Golf Club as the venue for 103rd south african open Championship,” said sunshine tour tournament director, Gary todd.

Glendower has a proud history extending back to 1935. it is a classic parkland course and is generally regarded as one of the best in south africa.

lots to play For on hiS webSiTe’S diary page on his website ernie els lays out his plans for next few weeks “having gone into the week excited about oak hill and feeling like i was putting in some good work in the days leading up to the start of the pGa Championship, it is tough now reflecting on a missed cut in a major. it really doesn’t sit well with me and it never has. there are no excuses, though. it is what it is. we just have to move on and commit 100 per cent to playing some good golf for the rest of this season. there’s still a lot to play for. starting with Fedex Cup, i’m entered into the wyndham Championship and that gives me an opportunity to improve my ranking, which currently is 86th. although that’s comfortable for staying in the top-125 going into the first playoff event, the Barclays, it potentially doesn’t give me much wiggle-room moving on from there into the rest of the playoff series. after oak hill last week and now sedgefield, we’re playing back-toback on donald ross golf courses, which let’s face it can only be a good thing. actually, sedgefield is one of the premier private golf clubs in america and has a great history. it hosted the Greater Greensboro open for more than 50 years and some of the game’s greatest players won that event – legends such as Ben hogan, sam snead, Byron nelson, Gary player and seve Ballesteros. i also want to send my congratulations to the 67 young golfers who made it to the final of the ernie els primary schools Challenge held at els Club Copperleaf. a special mention from me goes to the winning team from st dunstans College and also to the individual champion wilco nienaber from Grey College primary who closed out the tournament with a final round 66. the winners finished 11 strokes clear of Curro aurora and 18 shots ahead of defending champions, Glenwood house. you can follow ernie on twitter @ thebig_easy

Ernie Els Primary Schools Championship winners St Dunstans College. From left to right - Patrick Gumede (manager), Jaden Burnand, Jayden Schaper, Justin Rees and Warwick Purchase; credit Deon Smit / Immanuel Photography.

5

Lifetime deaL for tiger Picturing tiger Woods adorned with anything but Nike swooshes is difficult to do. and a new endorsement deal between the two ensures that such a vision will remain just that – a figment of the imagination.

Since turning professional in 1996, other than a short period with titleist, Woods has been a Nike endorser, and his latest deal will keep him one for many more years. though terms of the contract were not disclosed, Woods’ agent, mark Steinberg, had made clear in recent weeks that negotiations were progressing to keep the world’s No 1 player “with Nike for the rest of his career.” Woods’ original five-year deal reportedly was worth $40-million. Numerous media outlets cited Woods earning $100-million over five years from Nike, beginning in 2001.

in a statement confirming the new contract, Nike golf president Cindy davis said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with tiger.

He is one of Nike’s most iconic athletes and has played an integral part in Nike golf’s growth since the very beginning.” indeed, Woods’ value to Nike golf is difficult to quantify, with typical metrics such as advertising exposure and product sales falling well short of capturing his full impact. Virtually single-handedly, he legitimised Nike, known foremost as an athletic shoe and apparel company, as a golf brand. His endorsement not only helped Nike resonate with consumers in the marketplace, but also aided in recruiting other players to its tour staff – a vital component for achieving and maintaining authenticity. for Woods, his latest Nike deal, arguably, caps a complete rebound from his marital problems that became publicly known in 2009 and derailed his marketability. though Nike stood by him, many companies distanced themselves from Woods in the aftermath of his scandal. But marketing experts predicted that over time the iconic spokesman would be able to rebuild his endorsement portfolio – as long as he continued winning on the course. With four victories already this season, he has fulfilled that requirement. Now, marketers – among them rolex, NetJets and ea Sports – are heralding him again.

SmaLLer CroWdS at oPeN

Learn the rules of golf online the r&a has launched a new free online course to help golfers and administrators improve their knowledge of the rules of golf.

T

he Rules Academy is available at www.RandA. org/RulesAcademy and is based on the Etiquette Section and the Quick Guide to the Rules of Golf (a short summary of the most commonly occurring Rules). Users are guided by either Padraig Harrington or Suzann Pettersen, who are both R&A Working for Golf Ambassadors.

The course features video, images and diagrams of Rules situations and includes revision questions after each section. It covers the essentials that all golfers should know such as sportsmanship, integrity and respect. It adopts a tee to green approach and tells you what you need to know at each point; from where to tee your ball, to taking relief from various conditions, to holing out and returning the score card.

At the end of the course, people can take a Level 1 Rules Exam and

receive a certificate signed by their guiding player.

Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington said: “The Rules Academy is a great idea for helping golfers to improve their knowledge of the Rules of Golf in a quick and easy way. A short online course will make the Rules, and how they are applied, much less daunting and the game more enjoyable as a result.”

The R&A operates a three-tier Rules Education Programme and the Rules Academy is based on the Level 1 Introductory Rules Schools that it conducts around the world in conjunction with its affiliated bodies.

The Academy is free to view and should take no more than two to three hours to go through. The Exam costs £10 to take with the proceeds going to The R&A’s Working for Golf programme. Each year The R&A invests £5 million in the programme, which supports the development of the game around the world.

merCedeS goLf Car Mercedes-Benz, a long-time sponsor of golf events around the world, may soon go into direct completion with e-Z-go and textron in the golf car market. the company has unveiled a solar-powered concept golf cart that features such luxury appointments as an iPhone dock, a high-end media player, a touchscreen monitor, Led headlights and heated and cooled seats. mercedes-Benz has also ditched the steering wheel in favour of a centrally located joystick that allows either occupant to drive.

AttendAnce at the open Championship this year was not only below the r&a’s hoped-for figure of 170,000 but, at 142,036, also 11.5 percent below the attendance at the muirfield open of 2002. although attendance on the Practice days this year was 31,320, slightly up on the 30,862 who attended in 2002, attendance on each of the four days of the Championship was down on the equivalent day in 2002, the last time the open came to muirfield and ernie els was Champion golfer of the Year. the daily attendances were: thursday 23,393 (- 23.6%); friday 29,144 (- 15.5%); Saturday 28,932 (-12.9%); and Sunday 29,247 (-6.9%).

high cost of accommodation in the area among the reasons given to explain this result are not only the higher cost of a day ticket – £75 compared with £60 two years ago – and the abolition of the concessionary price for over 65s, but also the high cost of accommodation in the area, with hotel owners for miles around (including edinburgh) massively inflating their normal prices in the hope of making a killing.

Neither of these theories was mentioned by the r&a, however, whose spokesman said: “more than 142,000 people attended the open this week. that is almost 90 percent up of the figure in 2002 and we are pleased with this attendance. advance ticket sales were very strong and we believe the extremely warm weather put off some of our pay-at-the-gate customers. that is perhaps why, unusually, we had a higher attendance on Sunday in cooler weather than we did on friday, which is normally the busiest day. the blend of a British winner of the tour de france and ashes cricket on television over the last few days may also have had an impact.”

news 7 senior scene

16,000 golf Balls The sunshine Tour and titleist africa, a subsidiary of acushnet south africa, donated 16,000 golf balls to the south african golf development Board, continuing their long-standing tradition of giving back to the sport. “the sunshine tour and acushnet sa have always felt the need to give something back to golf.

We want to nurture golfing talent in south africa, and this donation of 16,000 balls will help young golfers in need of support,” said ludwick Manyama, tournament Coordinator for the sunshine tour. a collection of young hopefuls from the sagdB were treated to lessons from sunshine tour professionals neil schietekat, allan

versveld and Matthew Carvell at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington golf Club as part of the initiative. titleist africa provided the balls in partnership with the sunshine tour, and the ball manufacturer was proud to assist in growing the game.

“We highly value our partnership with the sunshine tour and it’s great to know that our premium golf balls from the top professionals are getting passed on to the grass roots level. south africa produces more champions per capita than anywhere else outside of america, and it’s great to have the young talent using titleist balls,” said leonard loxton, Manager of leadership promotions for acushnet south africa.

Building Relationships

The hunTer’s CorporaTe Golf leaGue is a series of golf events guaranteed to help your company build strong business relationships. enter your company fourball and entertain, network, play and enjoy the ultimate refreshment!

Contact person: Riaan Myburgh tel: (021) 975 5358 Cell: 083 628 7395 email: riaan@golfbizniz.co.za Web: www.golfbizniz.co.za

individual oRdeR of MeRit – top 15 PlayeR

Points

Sindele Kama

40

CoMpany leadeR BoaRd – top 20 CoMPany

Points

Health systems

25

siba Quantity surveyors

24

Bluekey

23

Metropolitan Health

22

nampak liquid

21

Khusela solutions

20

synergy

19

eXeo

18

Hostmann-steinberg

17

sMeC

16

travelcape/CDK labour

15

Fairbridges

14

iliso/talani

13

tusk events

12

Powelltronics

11

safmarine

10

Willie Mentoor

38

Rod Gush

38

Jakobus Wust

37

Dave Thompson

37

Anthony Santana

36

Phiwe Makeleni

35

Johan Basson

35

JD Pretorius

35

Theo van Zyl

34

Dustin Coombe

34

QlikView

9

Elroy Kleinveldt

33

GaC laser

8

Dave Burdett

33

Rhino agrivantage

7

Patrick Cox

32

Hunters

6

Emile Muller

32

Cape Town Results

Top-40 for Wellington at Royal Aberdeen British senior amateur title goes to 60 year old american george Zahringer.

A

lthough the Senior Open Amateur Championship ended in a downpour of heavy rain and hailstones, South Africa’s Jock Wellington managed to grind out a final round 77 together with earlier rounds of 75 and 77 gave him a total of 229 to claim a top-40 finish at Royal Aberdeen.

One of senior golf ’s most prestigious championships, the 45th edition of the Senior Open Amateur drew a strong field and 62-year-old Wellington (pictured right), from Kyalami Country Club, was one of four top South African senior amateurs among the 144 golfers who competed in Scotland.

Wellington tied for 13th in 2012 and finished joint 16th in 2011, made his sixth appearance in the championship alongside fellow Central Gauteng golfer, Alan Fraser, Basil Naidoo from KwaZulu-Natal and Stephen Cullen from Mpumalanga.

As the leading over-55 Senior Amateurs on the Senior Order of Merit in March, Naidoo and Cullen’s entries were sponsored by the South African Golf Association (SAGA).

The championship was won by American George Zahringer, who

came from one shot behind for a one stroke victory over fellow American Tom Brandes. The 60-year-old New York amateur posted rounds of 69-75-74 for a winning total of two-over-par 218.

“It’s great to win my first international title,” Zahringer said.

“Playing for the US in the Walker Cup and winning the US MidAmateur were great. And another highlight of my career was taking part in eight US Senior Opens, but this is extra special because it is here in Scotland.

MpuMalanga senioR aMateuR open MelleTTe hendrikse of gauteng north golf union, currently lying second in the senior amateur rankings order of merit, is determined to successfully defend the title he won about a year ago at the Witbank Country Club. this time, however, the Mpumalanga senior amateur open moves to Middelburg Country Club, with a very demanding second nine awaiting any title aspirations from hendrikse or any other player who wishes to lift the trophy. hendrikse is the current sa senior strokeplay Champion, after winning this prestigious event at Wingate park CC last year. also the winner of four other provincial titles in the recent past, the 52-year-old has gone from strength to strength. “the biggest improvement is my putting,” he says. “i could hit maybe

14 greens in regulation in the past, make no putts and end up with 75! now i hit 10 greens and make five putts to shoot maybe 71 or 72 – that’s the difference!

“My aim is to be consistent and claim the top spot on the order of merit from francois le Roux. it will cement my place for the players Championship at sun City next february – an event which few of the senior amateurs would want to miss.” six tournaments are left before the conclusion of the limpopo open on 5 december, at which point the final top 50 players on the order of merit will know who will be travelling to sun City. the players Championship, sponsored last year by price Waterhouse Coopers, lexus and Cambist, is considered as the highlight of the senior amateur circuit.

8 BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Haig

“All the professionals... should say a silent thanks to Walter Hagen each time they stretch a check between their fingers. It was Walter who made professional golf what it is.” – Gene Sarazen

Walter Hagen was one of the biggest stars in golf in the 1920s, although his career stretched from the 19-teens into the 1940s. He helped popularise professional golf and is still among the golfers with the most Major championships.

His tally of 11 Majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He won the US Open twice and in 1922 he became the first American to win the British Open, which he went on to capture four times in total. He also won the PGA Championship a record-tying five times , the Western Open five times, totalled 45 PGA wins in his career, and was a six-time Ryder Cup captain.

But more than the victories, Hagen’s impact is felt in his almost single-

handed legitimising of professional golfers, and of the standing of professional athletes around the world.

Hagen’s presence at a tournament guaranteed great crowds, and he commanded huge appearance fees for exhibition matches. He was among the first golfers to capitalize on product endorsements, and he is believed to be the first athlete to earn $1-million in a career.

Walter Hagen was golf ’s greatest showman, a flamboyant, princely romantic who captivated the public and his peers with sheer panache. He was known as ‘Sir Walter,’ and ‘The Haig’. Such is his legacy as the most colourful character the game has ever seen that it often overshadows what a supreme player he was.

Hagen was the world’s first full-time

9 With a long game often made erratic by the pronounced sway in his swing, but with an incredible ability to scramble and putt, Hagen lived by the principle that “three of those and one of them still count four.” After he defeated Bob Jones, 12 and 11, in a 72-hole challenge match in 1926 – which temporarily decided which of them was the greatest golfer of the day – even the gentlemanly Jones couldn’t contain his frustration.

“When a man misses his drive, and then misses his second shot, and then wins the hole with a birdie,” said Jones, “it gets my goat.”

Hagen had a model attitude during competition, one part bravado and five parts serenity. He understood completely that the only shot that matters is the next one, and wouldn’t let a bad one ruffle him. “I expect to

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry.

And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.

Make the hard ones look easy and the easy ones look hard.

No one remembers who came in second.

Second, remembers.

There is no tragedy in missing a putt, no matter how short.

All have erred in this respect.

You don’t have the game you played last year or last week.

You only have today’s game.

It may be far from your best, but that’s all you’ve got.

Harden your heart and make the best of it.

Miss a putt for $2,000?

Not likely!

tournament professional. He won so often and in such lavish style that he single-handedly ushered in the era of the playing pro – who, through the early century, was clearly of a lower station than the game’s wealthy amateurs – into the socially exclusive world of golf. As Arnold Palmer, the other great democrat of his sport, once said at a dinner honouring Hagen: “If not for you, Walter, this dinner tonight would be downstairs in the pro shop, not in the ballroom.”

Of course, what gave weight to Hagen’s persona was his often underrated talent and never overrated champion’s heart. Hagen is generally considered the greatest match player of all time. He once won 22 straight 36-hole matches in the PGA and, between the first round in 1921 and the fourth round of 1928, 32 from 33.

make at least seven mistakes a round,” he said. “Therefore, when I make a bad shot, it’s just one of the seven.” He never complained about bad breaks, and, perhaps because of that attitude, always seemed to be getting good ones.

“I love to play with Walter,” said Jones.

“He can come nearer beating luck itself than anybody I know.”

Born in Rochester, New York, Hagen came from a working-class family of German descent. His parents were William and Louisa (Boelke) Hagen, his father worked as a millwright and blacksmith in Rochester’s railroad-car shops. Walter was the second of William and Louisa’s five children, the only boy in the family.

Hagen developed his golf game at the Country Club of Rochester, beginning as a caddy, and earned money to help support his family from

pre-teen age. Hagen played golf at every chance he got; caddy access to the course was limited to off-peak times, as it was elsewhere in the US during that era. Hagen gradually improved his golf skill to the point where he was an expert player by his mid-teens, and was then hired by the club to give lessons to club members and to work in the pro shop.

He made his top-class professional debut at age 19 at the 1912 Canadian Open, placing 11th, a good showing.

Hagen was also very skilled at baseball, primarily as a pitcher and shortstop.

He cancelled a 1914 try-out for the Philadelphia Phillies in order to play in a golf tournament. Later that week, Hagen was the US Open champion, and his career was changed forever.

He always resolved to live big. “I never wanted to be a millionaire,” he said. “I just wanted to live like one.”

Although an imposing six feet tall with slick black hair and covered in the finest fabrics, Hagen nonetheless had a kindly face and a twinkle of irony that invited rather than repelled the common man.

His gestures were grand, but wonderfully human. When he won the 1922 British Open at Royal St George’s, Hagen’s reaction to professionals not being allowed in the clubhouse was to hire an AustroDaimler limousine, park it directly in front of the clubhouse and change his clothes and take his meals in the car.

While he may have been lampooning the foibles of the well-todo, at the same time, he managed to court their favour. He played with kings and princes around the world, never cowtowing to them. One of the most quoted lines in golf history is attributed to Hagen, who, while playing with King Edward VIII of England, asked the man who would later abdicate the throne and become the Duke of Windsor to tend the flag by saying, “Hey Eddie, get the stick, will you?,” astonishing the typically stuffy and conservative British gallery following them.

He was once invited by Edward to play at his private club outside London. After they played, the King invited Walter and another professional inside for lunch. When they were sitting in the dining room, one of the club staff came up to the table and informed the King that the club could not serve the professionals.

Edward replied that the club would have to serve them, or he would remove the ‘Royal’ title from its name!

He was not only a master of playing golf, he was also a master at playing people. This made Match Play, in which score is tallied by the number of holes won, not total shots, a perfect venue for Hagen, who loved to play with the minds of his opponents.

John M Ross described Hagen’s ‘applied psychology’ in Golf Magazine. “One of Hagen’s most successful tactics was to lull an opponent into swapping banter between shots, getting him so amused

he was vulnerable to a crack in concentration when important shots were played. Hagen, on the other hand, could turn off the fun like a light switch and devote total attention to the task at hand.”

Hagen would distract younger opponents with conversations of a possible invitation to a future exhibition tournament. He acknowledged in his autobiography The Walter Hagen Story (1956): “Through the years I’ve been accused of dramatising shots. Of making the difficult shots look easy and the easy shots look difficult. Only that last came naturally, believe me.

Well, I always figured the gallery had a show coming to them. I deny I ever held up a game by any such shenanigans, but I don’t deny playing for the gallery. I don’t deny trying to make my game as interesting and as thrilling to the spectators as it was possible for me to make it.”

Despite his love for flashy clothes, limousines, and nightclubs, Hagen was the consummate gentleman, always charming and at ease, making others, including Hollywood stars and British royalty, desire to be in his presence.

Hagen brought colour and glamour to golf, playing in plus-fours and two-toned shoes (he was the first athlete ever named to the list of Best Dressed Americans). He was equally exciting and flamboyant off the course, earning and spending money lavishly. Hagen often stayed at the best hotels, threw the best parties, and hired limousines to take him to tournaments (sometimes pulling the limo right up to the first tee). He gave his entire £100 winner’s check from the 1929 Open Championship to his 16-year-old caddie.

Hagen once expressed his creed in these words: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry.

And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” When he died in Traverse City, Michigan on 5 October 1969, there was no doubt he had lived it.

Profile ‘The haig’ Born: 21 December 1892 in Rochester, New York DieD: 5 October 1969 Major ChaMpionships: 11 • US Open: 1914, 1919 • British Open: 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929 • PGA Championship: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 Tour ViCTories: 45 Including Western Open: 1916, 1921, 1926, 1927, 1932 Metropolitan Open: 1916, 1919, 1920, 1924 Texas Open: 1923 North and South Open: 1918, 1923, 1924 Canadian Open: 1931 awarDs anD honours: • Member, World Golf Hall of Fame • Member, US Ryder Cup team, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935 • Captain, US Ryder Cup team, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937

10

11

Majors wrap-up

A plAy-off At the MAsters, A rAre english winner At the Us open, A sMiling fAce triUMphing At the open And A new cUlt hero eMerging At the Us pgA chAMpionship. how do yoU sUM Up the MAjors of 2013 in A few lines?

by Dennis Bruyns

12 majors wrap-up Here’s a list, in no particular order, of the 13 players who made the cut in every Major this season:

1. Adam Scott 2. Jason Day 3. Tiger Woods 4. Brandt Snedeker 5. Sergio Garcia 6. Lee Westwood 7. Matt Kuchar

Masters chaMpion – an australian with the filM star looks the Most closely guarded trophy in aMerican golf goes across the atlantic as an english rose blooMs Mickelson Masters a links as the Most faMous trophy in world golf travels the other way with a Man who now really has reason to sMile the pga chaMpionship is won by soMeone who is anything but a duffer

hree first timers and a fortysomething master player who stands on the ‘wrong’ side of the ball. But that doesn’t tell the story of the highlights and the lowlights, agony and ecstacy, and frankly the wonderful entertainment and drama we were privileged to enjoy as golf fans.

8. Dustin Johnson 9. Henrik Stenson 10. Jason Dufner 11. Martin Kaymer 12. KJ Choi 13. Phil Mickelson

Player of the year Collectively, no one was better than Adam Scott in the Majors this year.

The Masters champion was a combined two over in the four tournaments. In the last two years, however, Scott was even better on the big stage after finishing last year’s four Majors in a combined 6-under.

On Sunday at Oak Hill, he came up short in his bid for a second Major championship. The Aussie would have joined a short list of players – it includes only Jack Nicklaus (twice), Jack Burke jnr and Sam Snead – who have won the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same year.

He left Oak Hill feeling good about his game and his future.

“I’m peaking at the right times,” said Scott, who has seven top-10s, including a win and two runner-up finishes, in his last dozen Majors. “It’s hard to stay there for four days and have the lead the whole time, but I feel like I’m improving still. I’m doing something right.”

It started two years ago for Scott when he cut back on his schedule, changed to the long putter and added veteran caddie Steve Williams to the bag.

the oPen ChamPionshiP Say what you like about Muirfield (and plenty of people had plenty to say about the club’s ‘traditional’ approach), the course produces cracking Open Championships and absolutely top-notch champions.

No disrespect intended, but there have been no Todd Hamiltons or Ben Curtis’s lifting the Claret Jug in this corner of East Lothian. Take a glance at the Muirfield champions since the war: Cotton, Player, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, Faldo (twice), Els – it is a stellar line-up.

And now add the name of Phil Mickelson to that list. They don’t come much bigger in terms of star quality. Mickelson is certainly the most popular player on the planet and probably the best to watch. It has taken the Californian 20 years to master Links golf, but in 2013 he won two Links tournaments in two weeks, so he gets plenty of points for perseverance as well.

Where Were tiger Woods and rory mCilroy?

Both seem to have gone walkabout.

Tiger in the woods somewhere and Rory wherever the Ladies Tennis Tour is that week.

13

THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

JASON ‘DUFNERING’ HIS WAY TO A MAJOR TITLE

W

But as Tiger said, “I’ve won 14, and of late I’ve been there. It’s not like I’ve lost my card and not playing out here.”

It only feels that way.

Truth is, the 37-year-old Woods still has time to pass Nicklaus, who won No 18 at age 46. Mickelson, 43, is the third consecutive fortysomething to win the Open Championship. Tom Watson was one par from the 72nd fairway at Turnberry from winning this tournament at 59. Golf isn’t a contact sport, or one that requires its players to run a 4,4sec 50m dash or maintain a 40cm vertical leap. So if Woods can remain relatively healthy, he’ll have his chances.

But there’s no doubt his biggest challenge is mental now. Woods is surely starting to doubt himself and to ask himself why he no longer has the resolve to get the job done. And he never looks happy. A smile seldom crosses his face and, as for the new conservative style of play?

Stop Tiger, take a cue from your sponsor, take out the driver and just do it!

Instead all we saw after The Open was Tiger and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn slipping into the backseat of a waiting black Mercedes, and then they were gone.

The old Tiger would’ve left with his fourth Claret Jug, too, because the old Tiger would’ve figured out the greens, adjusted to the water thrown down on the course and learned a few lessons from the muttering pros he watched coming up short on TV on Sunday morning.

The last two times we’ve seen Rory McIlroy on a Major stage, he’s been bending a wedge in anger at Merion and lamenting himself as “brain-dead” en route to missing the cut at Muirfield.

Just a quick reminder: In 2012, Rory was the world’s No 1 player, PGA Tour Player of the Year, the leading money winner on Tour, and won the PGA Championship by a record eight strokes. Since switching to Nike at the beginning of this season, McIlroy has had stretches of ‘Old Rory’ but nothing sustained.

ith his portly belly and outward ambivalence, Jason Dufner is an everyman’s golfer. It is wonderful to see an everyman produce a Major performance in keeping with those which preceded it, in a season of four truly awesome efforts. For Scott it was redemption, for Rose long-awaited and hard-fought rewards, for Mickelson realisation that he could win any event and, for Dufner, a demonstration of how far he’s come as a player.

Waggle, swing, pick up your peg, chew a bit of tobacco (not sure about that), go and look in the middle of the fairway for your ball and do it over and over again.

It has been reported that Jason and his wife Amanda spent the Saturday night before the final round of the PGA watching ‘Ridiculousness’, MTV’s viral video comedy show.

Does that sound like a guy who was nervous? Does that sound like a guy who had demons to demolish after that meltdown two years ago over the final four holes of the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club?

Hardly. What was ridiculous on Sunday, as in ridiculously good, was the way Dufner kept giving himself birdie opportunities in a round of 68 that gave him a two-stroke victory over Jim Furyk, his first Major championship and possession of the Wanamaker Trophy for the 12 next months.

Amanda says she knows when her husband is nervous but on the Sunday, she knew he wasn’t.

“I had a good feeling about the day,” she said. “I could tell he was very, very confident.” Dufner certainly looked it, too, when he stiffed three approach shots for kick-in birdies, including the one at the fifth hole that gave him the lead he would not relinquish.

The couple is currently in the process of building a new home on a 50-acre tract of land near Auburn.

It’s just being framed in, so the interior decorating will have to wait, but Dufner and his wife made some landscaping strides this week – taking back a ziploc bag full of acorns they hope will one day grow into the kind of trees that populated Toomer’s Corner before an Alabama fan poisoned them.

“We got a sapling actually the other day from the general manager here at Oak Hill,” Dufner said with a smile. “So at least that one will take root. I will have some trees out there, and it will be a neat experience, first Major championship at Oak Hill and hopefully having some of their oak trees out there.”

Bubba Watson ‘Dufnering’

The victory had ‘Dufnering’ trending on Twitter again, too.

Several months ago, Dufner was captured sitting sprawled on the floor, slumped against the wall as he visited a classroom in a youth centre in Dallas where he was defending his HP Byron Nelson Championship title. Other players – even athletes from other sports – started to tweet photos of themselves in similar poses, saying they were ‘Dufnering’.

Even Gary Player took up the cause when he tweeted: congratulations @ JasonDufner on your impressive 1st Major victory in the @ PGAChampionship. I guess I need to start ‘dufnering’ now champ...

But last word to Jason himself: “It was brilliant”.

Scan the QR code to see how we created this ad using the very tread that inspired it.

www.treadsmartly.tv Follow us & see how ‘smart choices’ can change things.

When you choose a Bridgestone Potenza tyre, you aren’t just choosing leading technology and innovation that inspires superior performance in moments when you truly need it. You are choosing a philosophy that says: “I made the smart choice”.

Bridgestone South Africa.

Available at:

www.bridgestone.co.za and other selected Bridgestone dealers.

DWFCOLL BS/516142

Tread Smartly.

majors wrap-up What happened? Can it be pin-pointed to the new swoosh adorning his apparel? Or his young love romance with Caroline Wozniacki? Please let’s remind ourselves, he’s only 24 years old.

Will We see Tom again Nick Faldo played his third shot from a bunker about 40m short of the green on the par-4 home hole.

At that point, all he was trying to do was break 80. The Muirfield bunkers are true traps, and Faldo played this shot with the only club that would get him both out of the pit and near the hole, a 9-iron. He nearly holed it. “Even Tom acknowledged that one,” Faldo said later, after signing for a 79.

Those five words spoke volumes.

Tom Watson is not meant for these times, where parents say “good job”

15

Watson is not meant for these times, Where parents say “good job” to their children for the simple act of playing on a sWing to their children for the simple act of playing on a swing. Watson’s not much for chit-chat, false praise or mindless banter. He’s a man playing a man’s game, and he’s 63 and he conserves energy.

Results Masters tournaMent

the open ChaMpionship

POS

PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY

POS

PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY

1

Adam Scott

69

72

69

69

279

$1,440,000

1

Phil Mickelson

69

74

72

66

281

2

Angel Cabrera

71

69

69

70

279

$864,000

2

Henrik Stenson

70

70

74

70

284

$832,106

3

Jason Day

70

68

73

70

281

$544,000

T3

Ian Poulter

72

71

75

67

285

$428,775.82

T4

Marc Leishman

66

73

72

72

283

$352,000

T3

Adam Scott

71

72

70

72

285

$428,775.82

T4

Tiger Woods

70

73

70

70

283

$352,000

T3

Lee Westwood

72

68

70

75

285

$428,775.82

T6

Thorbjorn Olesen

78

70

68

68

284

$278,000

T6

Zach Johnson

66

75

73

72

286

$249,376.82

T6

Brandt Snedeker

70

70

69

75

284

$278,000

T6

Hideki Matsuyama 71

73

72

70

286

$249,376.82

T8

Sergio Garcia

66

76

73

70

285

$232,000

T6

Tiger Woods

69

71

72

74

286

$249,376.82

T8

Matt Kuchar

68

75

69

73

285

$232,000

T9

Hunter Mahan

72

72

68

75

287

$175,582

T8

Lee Westwood

70

71

73

71

285

$232,000

T9

Francesco Molinari

69

74

72

72

287

$175,582

Selected scores: $95,043.30

Selected scores: T11

Tim Clark

70

76

67

73

286

$192,000

T13

Ernie Els

71

74

73

69

287

$145,600

T18

Branden Grace

78

70

71

69

288

$116,000

T20

Jason Dufner

72

69

75

73

289

$89,920

T25

Rory McIlroy

72

70

79

69

290

$56,040

T25

Justin Rose

70

71

75

74

290

$56,040.00

T25

Charl Schwartzel

71

71

75

73

290

$56,040.00

T25

Richard Sterne

73

72

75

70

290

$56,040.00

T50

Trevor Immelman

68

75

78

74

295

$19,480.00

T54

Phil Mickelson

71

76

77

73

297

$18,320.00

M/C George Coetzee

75

74

149

M/C Louis Oosthuizen

74

76

150

us open

$1,442,826

T15

Charl Schwartzel

75

68

76

71

290

T21

Richard Sterne

75

75

68

73

291

$72,217.64

T26

Jason Dufner

72

77

76

67

292

$56,873.30

T26

Ernie Els

74

74

70

74

292

$56,873.30

T44

Tim Clark

72

76

76

70

294

$24,641.03

T64

Branden Grace

74

71

77

75

297

$19,085

T71

George Coetzee

76

71

75

76

298

$18,397.94

M/C Thomas Aiken

71

80

151

M/C Justin Harding

78

74

152

M/C Justin Rose

75

77

152

M/C Rory McIlroy

79

75

154

POS

PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY

W/D Louis Oosthuizen

1

Justin Rose

71

69

71

70

281

$1,440,000

pGa ChaMpionship

T2

Jason Day

70

74

68

71

283

$696,104

POS

PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY

T2

Phil Mickelson

67

72

70

74

283

$696,104

1

Jason Dufner

68

63

71

68

270

$1,445,000

T4

Jason Dufner

74

71

73

67

285

$291,406

2

Jim Furyk

65

68

68

71

272

$865,000

T4

Ernie Els

71

72

73

69

285

$291,406

3

Henrik Stenson

68

66

69

70

273

$545,000

T4

Billy Horschel

72

67

72

74

285

$291,406

4

Jonas Blixt

68

70

66

70

274

$385,000

T4

Hunter Mahan

72

69

69

75

285

$291,406

T5

Scott Piercy

67

71

72

65

275

$304,000

T8

Luke Donald

68

72

71

75

286

$210,006

T5

Adam Scott

65

68

72

70

275

$304,000

T8

Steve Stricker

71

69

70

76

286

$210,006

7

David Toms

71

69

69

67

276

$259,000

T10

Nicolas Colsaerts

69

72

74

72

287

$168,530.00

T8

Jason Day

67

71

72

67

277

$206,250

T10

Gonzalo Fdez-Castano

71

72

72

72

287

$168,530.00

T8

Dustin Johnson

72

71

65

69

277

$206,250

T10

Rickie Fowler

70

76

67

74

287

$168,530.00

T8

Zach Johnson

69

70

70

68

277

$206,250

T10

Hideki Matsuyama 71

75

74

67

287

$168,530.00

T8

Rory McIlroy

69

71

67

70

277

$206,250

Selected scores:

Selected scores: T33

Justin Rose

68

66

77

72

283

$38,571.42

T40

Tiger Woods

71

70

73

70

284

$28,000

T68

Tim Clark

69

71

75

75

290

$15,150

T72

Phil Mickelson

71

71

78

72

292

$14,750

CUT

Branden Grace

71

73

144

CUT

Charl Schwartzel

71

73

144

149

CUT

Ernie Els

74

72

146

150

CUT

Richard Sterne

72

74

146

153

CUT

George Coetzee

74

76

150

75

CUT

Jaco Van Zyl

74

76

150

14

Charl Schwartzel

70

71

69

78

288

$144,444

T32

Tiger Woods

73

70

76

74

293

$47,246.00

T41

Rory McIlroy

73

70

75

76

294

$37,324

T45

Adam Scott

72

75

73

75

295

$28,961

T56

George Coetzee

71

73

77

77

298

$21,485

M/C Tim Clark

70

79

149

M/C Rory Sabbatini

77

72

M/C Jaco Van Zyl

73

77

M/C Branden Grace

70

83

W/D Louis Oosthuizen

75

His run of golf, throughout the kingdom and in Scotland most particularly, is astounding. He won the first Open in which he played, in 1975 at Carnoustie. And he does not play tournament golf to make cuts.

He’ll most likely play in the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool. He’ll return to Scotland in September of next year, as captain of the US Ryder Cup team, overseeing a group of players who really don’t know his life and unique times. In 2015, he’ll play at St Andrews, and that will most likely be his last Open.

These days he has his horses, his children and grandchildren, his farm, baseball (Royals), politics (conservative) and varied other interests that occupy his time. Then, 20 or so times a year, he slips on those familiar Polo duds, puts that Adams strap over his shoulder and heads out the door as Tom Watson, golf legend.

As a man gets older, the obsessive loves of youth fade into something else, a thing that you can turn on and off, and thereby stay fresh.

The nature of fandom has changed over the 38 years Watson has been playing British Open golf. Scotland is a small country and there have been intimate, unlikely relationships between certain American golfers and the Scots over the years, most particularly with Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Nicklaus and Watson.

One his great victories came in the Open at Muirfield in 1980.

What happened afterward tells you all you need to know about Watson.

After the presentation ceremony, Watson, Andy North (a two time US Open champion) and Ben Crenshaw (two time Masters champion) played a few holes with gutta percha balls and hickory-shafted clubs. They were yanked off the course by the club secretary.

Why were they out there? Love of golf, and playing with friends. Can you imagine that happening today?

Maybe, but the players would probably ask how much they are getting paid to play.

16 majors wrap-up

K

enny Perry’s best finishes in Major championships on the PGA Tour were a pair of seconds – play-off losses at the 1996 PGA Championship and the 2009 Masters.

Perry led Mark Brooks by a shot at the 1996 PGA at Valhalla just outside Louisville, about two hours north of his hometown of Franklin, Kentecky, only to bogey the final hole to fall into a play-off with Brooks, who birdied the first extra hole for the victory.

The agony grew exponentially 13 years later, when he stood on the 17th tee at Augusta with a two-shot lead.

Consecutive bogeys dropped Perry into a three-way tie with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell. He failed to get up and down on No 10,

the senior tour

Perry Makes Merry in Majors

the second play-off hole, and Cabrera made par to capture the green jacket.

If there was a way to lose a Major tournament, the affable 52-year-old Kentuckian seemed to have found it during his otherwise sterling career.

But all that changed when Perry won the Senior Players Championship when he shot 19-under 261. After opening with a 71, he fired rounds of 63-63-64 and over that stretch he made two eagles and 19 birdies, six of which came in the bogey-free final round which produced a two-shot victory over Duffy Waldorf (64) and Fred Couples (68).

He followed that with a masterful performance at the US Senior Open.

The 52-year-old Kentuckian won his second straight Senior Major with a flurry. His 64-63 finish, and the

10-shot deficit he overcame after 36 holes, set tournament records. His 13-under total of 267 matched the lowest four-round score.

“It all came together. Why, after all these years?” Perry said. “Here I am, almost 53 years old, and it finally came together for me.”

It was sweet vindication for a player who has won more than $31-million during his 31-year career, but is better known for those rounds that went all wrong.

Other champiOns Kohki Idoki’s eyes welled with tears as he putted for the Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club and again in the interview room after play. Everything about his first appearance in the event,

Results The Senior PGA ChAmPionShiP POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Kohki Idoki

71

69

68

65

273

T2

Kenny Perry

69

66

68

72

275

T2

Jay Haas

66

72

67

70

275

4

Mark O’Meara

73

70

68

65

276

5

Kiyoshi Murota

67

70

73

67

277

T6

Jim Rutledge

75

67

72

64

278

T6

Kirk Triplett

70

71

69

68

278

T6

Duffy Waldorf

66

72

71

69

278

T6

Russ Cochran

69

66

71

72

278

T6

Rod Spittle

69

71

67

71

278

Selected Scores T13

79

67

67

67

280

U.S. Senior oPen ChAmPionShiP

T28 Mark McNulty

Bernhard Langer

71

74

68

71

284

T59 Mark Wiebe

70

71

77

72

290

POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Kenny Perry

67

73

64

63

267

2

Fred Funk

67

70

67

68

272

The TrAdiTion POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

T3

Rocco Mediate

68

67

72

66

273

1

David Frost

68

70

66

68

272

T3

Corey Pavin

69

73

64

67

273

2

Fred Couples

66

71

68

68

273

5

Michael Allen

67

63

72

72

274

T3

John Cook

70

68

71

66

275

T6

Steve Elkington

70

70

71

65

276

T3

Esteban Toledo

70

69

69

67

275

T6

Jeff Sluman

69

67

72

68

276

T5

Michael Allen

68

69

69

70

276

T6

Chien Soon Lu

68

75

65

68

276

T5

Russ Cochran

71

68

70

67

276

T9

Kirk Triplett

70

72

71

65

278

T5

Duffy Waldorf

67

68

71

70

276

T9

Duffy Waldorf

70

69

72

67

278

T8

Morris Hatalsky

71

68

67

71

277

T9

Tom Lehman

67

71

70

70

278

T8

Jeff Sluman

65

71

72

69

277

T9

Bart Bryant

72

69

67

70

278

T10

Bernhard Langer

71

73

71

63

278

T9

Chris Williams

70

72

66

70

278

T10

Kirk Triplett

71

70

69

68

278

Selected Scores 68

74

68

69

279

69

73

67

71

280

T20 David Frost

72

70

67

72

281

T44 Mark McNulty

69

74

71

75

289

T23 Kohki Idoki

69

74

70

69

282

77

69

77

74

87

307

T42 Mark McNulty

72

72

68

73

285

M/C Mark Wiebe

75

72

147

80

75

155

T14

Selected Scores T15

Kenny Perry Mark Wiebe

The Senior PlAyerS ChAmPionShiP

Bernard Langer

POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

M/C Trevor Dodds

1

Kenny Perry

71

63

63

64

261

The Senior oPen ChAmPionShiPS

T2

Fred Couples

66

62

67

68

263

POS NAME

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

T2

Duffy Waldorf

66

67

66

64

263

1

Mark Wiebe

70

65

70

66

271

T4

Michael Allen

67

68

68

65

268

2

Bernhard Langer

68

67

66

70

271

T4

John Huston

65

67

68

68

268

T3

David Frost

68

68

68

70

274

T6

Jeff Hart

68

65

70

67

270

T3

Corey Pavin

69

71

69

65

274

T6

Morris Hatalsky

70

67

66

67

270

T3

Peter Senior

68

71

69

66

274

8

Bernhard Langer

72

69

63

67

271

6

Peter Fowler

69

68

70

69

276

T9

Mark Calcavecchia 68

68

66

70

272

7

Sandy Lyle

70

68

69

70

277

T9

Bill Glasson

69

67

70

66

272

T8

Jeff Hart

69

69

73

67

278

T9

Colin Montgomerie 69

70

68

65

272

T8

Tom Pernice Jnr

70

72

70

66

278

T9

Corey Pavin

71

65

67

69

272

10

Gene Sauers

67

70

70

72

279

T9

Peter Senior

69

69

68

66

272

Selected Scores 71

68

73

69

281

68

68

73

69

278

T26 Mark McNulty

70

67

76

73

286

T52 Mark McNulty

73

70

74

67

284

T65 Hendrik Buhrmann 76

72

75

73

296

T60 Mark Wiebe

71

75

72

69

287

M/C Chris Williams

73

77

T74

Kohki Idoki

75

72

70

73

290

M/C Tony Johnstone

79

75

T74

Nick Price

72

70

75

73

290

M/C Phil Jonas

80

76

13

Selected Scores T27

David Frost

Kohki Idoki

18 MAJORS WRAP-UP

THE LPGA

RESULTS KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL

FROST NEVER FLINCHED IN HIS SHOWDOWN WITH WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME MEMBER FRED COUPLES and first trip to the United States, was perfect. Idoki had just erased a five-stroke deficit against Kenny Perry with room to spare, charging to a two-stroke victory at Bellerive Country Club. The 51-year-old Idoki closed with a 6-under 65 to finish at 11-under and become the first player to win the tournament on his first attempt since Michael Allen in 2009, and the first Asian male to win a Senior Major tournament.

At The Tradition at Shaol Creek, David Frost never flinched in his showdown with World Golf Hall of Fame member Fred Couples, even with his first Major championship on the line. Frost made par on the final two holes to hold on for a one-stroke victory over Couples, the South African’s first major title in 17 attempts on the Champions Tour.

Couples and Frost both shot 4-under 68, and Frost finished at 16-under 272. It was Frost’s second victory of the year.

Bernhard Langer gave Mark Wiebe one too many chances at the Senior Open Championship. Wiebe took advantage of Langer’s failure to close out the tournament, beating the German on the fifth play-off hole Monday at Royal Birkdale for his first Senior Major title. “I’m speechless,” Wiebe said. “I think it’s always better for both players had there been a birdie to win the play-off instead of a bogey, but right now, I don’t really care. I’m glad it’s over, and I’m honoured.” Langer led by two shots going into the final hole of regulation play, only to settle for a double bogey when he struggled to get out of a bunker.

The play-off was then halted after two holes because of darkness and resumed Monday, with Langer immediately missing another chance to win when his 12-foot putt wouldn’t drop.

T

he day Se Ri Pak won the 1998 US Women’s Open, Inbee Park’s father ran through the house cheering. Park, who was 10 at the time, picked up her first golf club only a week later and began a golfing odyssey that has taken her to even greater heights than those of Pak. Inbee’s father and her mother, Sung Kim, moved Inbee and her younger sister, Inah, to the United States when Inbee was 12 in order to better allow Inbee to both play golf and complete her studies in school. The family initially settled in Eustis, Florida, where Inbee’s mother had found a Korean golf coach for Inbee and Inah, who went on to play college golf at the University of Southern California from 2008–2012.

After winning the US Women’s Open in 2008, Park went almost four years without a victory on the LPGA Tour. She broke that winless spell with a victory at the 2012 Evian Masters thanks in large part to a renewed confidence and passion for the game that she developed by traveling last year with her swing coach and fiance, Gi Hyeob Nam. Park’s calm demeanour, unique swing and rhythmic putting stroke have taken centre stage this season thanks in large part to her dominance in the Majors. Her impressive run of consecutive Major championship titles began at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, when Park captured a four-stroke victory before leaping into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. She continued the streak at the LPGA

Championship, defeating Catriona Matthew in a play-off. And at the US Women’s Open, Park wowed the golf world when she defeated IK Kim by four shots to become only the second LPGA player in history to capture three consecutive Major titles.

Then it was on to St Andrews.

Could Park win the Women’s British Open and make history as the only player to win four Majors in a calendar year? It turned out that the No 2 player in the world stole the headlines as American Stacy Lewis shot a final-round, even-par 72 at the famed Old Course to win her second-career Major championship with a two-shot victory over South Koreans Na Yeon Choi and Hee Young Park. Inbee ended up 14 shots behind the winner. The win by Lewis ended a streak of 10 winless Majors for the United States.

However, with three Major victories in the season, Inbee Park is without question the Ladies Major Player of the Year and an inspiration to a new generation of young girls.

“Now I go to these tournaments where a lot of Korean galleries come watching.

The little kids say, ‘I started playing golf watching you.’

Hearing that, I think, I’m only 25 years old, and I feel a little old hearing that. And I feel really happy that I could inspire somebody like Se Ri did to me, being in the kind of position where I’ve always dreamed of, where I’ve always wanted to go. I think a lot of the little kids give me a lot of inspiration and motivation to go out there and perform better for them.”

POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Inbee Park

70

67

67

69

273

2

So Yeon Ryu

73

71

68

65

277

3T

Suzann Pettersen

68

75

67

69

279

3T

Caroline Hedwall

71

68

72

68

279

5T

Haeji Kang

72

69

73

68

282

5T

Karrie Webb

72

71

67

72

282

7T

Jiyai Shin

70

71

71

71

283

7T

Hee Young Park

70

70

72

71

283

7T

Giulia Sergas

70

69

76

68

283

7T

Anna Nordqvist

69

72

72

70

283

7T

Catriona Matthew

72

73

70

68

283

7T

Jodi Ewart Shadoff

68

72

74

69

283

LPGA Championship POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Inbee Park

72

68

68

75

283

2

Catriona Matthew

71

71

73

68

283

3T

Suzann Pettersen

72

73

74

65

284

3T

Morgan Pressel

68

70

71

75

284

5T

Jiyai Shin

68

73

69

75

285

5T

Chella Choi

67

73

73

72

285

5T

Amy Yang

71

70

74

70

285

5T

Sun Young Yoo

73

69

70

73

285

9T

Michelle Wie 76

68

71

71

286

9T

Shanshan Feng

74

70

72

70

286

9T

Na Yeon Choi

72

70

70

74

286

POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Inbee Park

67

68

71

74

280

2

I.K. Ki

68

69

73

74

284

3

So Yeon Ryu

73

69

73

72

287

4T

Angela Stanford

73

68

74

74

289

4T

Paula Creamer

72

73

72

72

289

4T

Jodi Ewart Shadoff

70

69

74

76

289

7T

Brittany Lang

76

69

73

72

290

7T

Jessica Korda

70

71

76

73

290

US Women’s Open

Women’s British Open POS PLAYER

1

2

3

4

TOTAL

1

Stacy Lewis

67

72

69

72

280

2T

Na Yeon Choi

67

67

75

73

282

2T

Hee Young Park

70

69

70

73

282

4T

Morgan Pressel

66

70 71

76

283

4T

Suzann Pettersen

70

67

72

74

283

6

Lizette Salas 68

72

72

73

285

7T

Mamiko Higa

70

69

72

75

286

7T

Miki Saiki

69

66

74

77

286

9T

Natalie Gulbis

71

72

74

70

287

9T

Nicole Castrale

67

70

76

74

287

25T Lee-Anne Pace

70

71

72

79

292

42T Inbee Park

69

73

74

78

294

47T

71

72

75

77

295

Selected Scores

Ashleigh Simon

WALK, RUN, CLIMB, PLAY - you can!

Combination of bio-actives and traditional botanicals that show improvement in joint comfort within 7 days. Solgar No. 7 targets multiple pathways that combat destructive, joint damaging enzymes, preserves natural joint cushioning and, most importantly, increases flexibility, overall mobility and range of motion. UC-II has been clinically shown to outperform Glucosamine & Chondroitin by more than 2.5X, improving joint comfort, range of motion and physical ability. Easy 1 capsule/once a day solution to maintain an active lifestyle.

SOLGAR

Vitamins |

INNOVATION AND QUALITY

Since 1947

Available from Independent Health stores and Healthcare practitioners For more information email infosa@solgar.com | www.solgar.com | Tel 011 462 1652 CAREFULLY MANUFACTURED

in the USA

BY SOLGAR LABORATORIES

20

INSTRUCTION

By Dennis Bruyns, Illustrations Dave Edwards

A curved shot won’t carry as far as a straight one, so take one extra club.

On side-hill lies the ball tends to curve with the slope.

COMING UP SHORT When was the last time you airmailed an approach shot over a green?

21 PULL OUT AND KEEP

C

hances are it’s been a while.

But it’s probably not hard to recall the last time you hit a solid approach that fell short of the green. In fact, it probably happens every time you play.

Maybe it’s an ego thing. We remember that perfectly struck 7-iron that flies 150m through the air, pitching and stopping next to the pin.

And yes, that’s not the norm, and if we averaged out our 7-iron shots at best, we hit the club 140m. Club manufactures are well aware of this psychological make-up of golfers, and over the years have lowered the loft on irons to give us the illusion that we hit them farther.

How can you avoid ‘coming up short’? The simplest answer is the toughest one on your ego: when in doubt, take an extra club. But that’s only half of the solution. Accurate club selection means knowing how different lies and playing conditions influence distance. Here’s a checklist of things to keep in mind: BALL ABOVE FEET: ONE EXTRA CLUB With the ball above your feet, you should swing at about 80 percent to keep your balance. Additionally, the right-to-left ball flight that the hill promotes won’t carry quite as far as a straight shot, so take one extra club.

An elevated green reduces the amount of carry, so adjust accordingly.

BALL BELOW FEET: ONE EXTRA CLUB With the ball below your feet, the hill promotes a shot that curves from left to right. Since a fade does not go as far as a straight shot, add an extra club.

ELEVATED GREEN: ONE OR TWO EXTRA CLUBS Playing to an elevated green means the ball hits the ground sooner, reducing the amount of carry. If the fairway is flat but the green is elevated, take one extra club. If the fairway slopes uphill to an even further elevated green, take two extra clubs.

HEADWIND: HOW MUCH BREEZE? The general rule with headwinds is to take an extra club for every 16 kilometres per hour of wind. But that’s tough to gauge, unless you carry a wind speed monitor around with you on the course. Instead, look at it this way: if there’s breeze in your face, take an extra club. If there’s a strong breeze in your face, take two extra clubs. And if the wind is howling, take three. It’s always better to err towards too much club when playing into the wind: the key is to swing easy to cut down on backspin, which causes the ball to fly higher.

Estimate the force of a headwind when selecting a club.

22 rules

Plain in shape – not!

Every time I watch a tournament on TV, I ‘m reminded of the debate about long putters and the anchoring method of putting.

E

very time I watch a tournament on TV, I ‘m reminded of the debate about long putters and the anchoring method

of putting.

This year only one of the four Major winners, Adam Scott, used this style.

But a glance at his consistency over the four Majors suggests that he was the most consistent and so the ‘Major’ player of the year. And, as we all now know, he and many other amateur and professional golfers alike have only two years grace to conform and go back to a traditional style of putting. All this, we are told by the R&A and the USGA, is to preserve the tradition and integrity of the game.

In this regard, ‘preserving the tradition and integrity of the game’,

both bodies have not scored well in the past. Just take a look at the rules regarding club design and how this has been allowed to develop over the years. I am not saying that we should still be playing with featherie golf balls and hickory shafted clubs, but the latest drivers and putters hardly resemble those we used just 30 years ago.

At the time when woods were still made of wood, a favourite among many professionals was the MacGregor Key Hole persimmon headed driver.

And if you could find one made in the late 1950s, this was gem. Not sure if those were good years for persimmon or not, but the club, like a vintage wine, was perfect in every way.

Then the putters: these had to conform with the general guideline

The TaylorMade R1 and MacGregor persimmon head Key Hole drivers. A size comparison is enough to tell you which is easier to hit.

that the head had to be ‘plain in shape’ and, with the exception of the Ping Anser and its descendants, most putters were quite plain.

Not today, as all that seems to have gone out the window because the R&A and USGA lost a grip on design and technology of golf clubs.

It used to be that if you wanted to go from fading the ball to drawing the ball you had to adjust your swing.

Now, increasingly, you can adjust your club.

Some years ago, TaylorMade introduced the R7 driver, which permitted golfers to adjust weights in the sole of the club to induce a draw or a fade. Later, the R9 driver introduced the ability to open or close the face of the club. The latest generation of adjustability, epitomised by the new R1 driver, permits the golfer to adjust the loft of the club as well. A tool similar to an Allen Key wrench is used to make these adjustments.

Just as adjustability has evolved, so have the rules regarding adjustable clubs. Initially, the only permissible

rules adjustment was to weight. In 2008, the USGA and R&A revised Appendix II (Design of Clubs) to the Rules of Golf to permit more types of adjustable features in both woods and irons. They reasoned that since professional golfers could readily adjust their clubs by access to technicians, additional adjustability features would give average golfers access to similar club-fitting.

While the revised appendix permits additional types of adjustments, there are two important qualifications: • The adjustment cannot be ‘readily made’.

• All adjustable parts must be ‘firmly fixed’ and there can be no ‘reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round’.

Dick Rugge, formerly USGA Senior Technical Director, explained that the ‘readily adjustable’ provision is intended to make it less likely that a club would be adjusted during a round of golf, which would contravene the rules. There is no guidance interpreting this term, but the USGA’s position appears to be that, if you need to use the wrench provided with your driver to make an adjustment, the club is not ‘readily adjustable’. An adjustment that could be made by hand, or with a common object like a coin or ball-mark repair tool, would run afoul of this rule.

23

(From left) A blade with hickory shaft the same as the one used by Bobby Locke; a blade from the early 50’s; Bulls-eye putter, still seen in many golf bags today.

Mark McNulty used one throughout the 80’s; Classic Wilson blade, took Ben Crenshaw to two Masters victories; Mallet, the choice of former US Open (1959,1966 and Masters (1970) champion Billy Casper; Ping Putter. Quite a conservative design in today’s market.

It Is not the purpose of the rules to stIfle InnovatIon, but how the modern putter can be consIdered to be ‘plaIn’ beats me.

If you’re thinking about making hole-by-hole adjustments (close the club face on dogleg lefts, open it on dogleg rights), think again. Rule 4-2 prohibits purposely changing the playing characteristics of a club during a round of golf.

TradiTional and cusTomary The club must not be substantially different from the traditionally and customary form and make. The club must be composed of a shaft and a head and it may also have material added to the shaft to enable the player to obtain a firm hold. All parts must be fixed so that the club is one unit, and it must have no external attachments. Exceptions may be made for attachments that do not affect the performance of the club.

In practice, the ‘traditional and customary Rule’ is rarely used – having been largely superseded by the ‘plain in shape’ rule. However, it is still applied in those cases where the Equipment Standards Committee

decides that a particular design deviates from traditional appearance and/or construction standards, but which may not be covered by a more specific provision within the Rules.

The phrase ‘traditional and customary form and make’ does not mean that clubs must look the same as they did 100 years ago. If so, steel shafts and metal wooden heads would not conform to the Rules. It is not the purpose of the Rules to stifle inno-vation, but how the modern putter can be considered to be ‘plain’ beats me.

The point is that certain aspects of tradition have passed us by, so why make such an issue of a style of play.

I guess we must just live with it. Or will the top professional golfers whose income might well be affected by this change, take the R&A and USGA to task about it and ask a Court of Law to settle matters. Let’s hope not! And until then just make sure that during a stipulated round, the playing characteristics of a club is not purposely changed by adjustment – or by any other means.

NO ONE SAYS ,

HERE COME AND STAY W OLF AG A IN? ” OU’RE PL AYING G “Y

a City Lodge. feel right at home at s ay alw u rooms, yo t tha d You’ll fin guests comfor table home. We offer our of do. nt to ou at am wh ht u rig yo g the But just And no one tellin . lue va at gre d an a warm welcome

www.citylodge.co.za • 0800 113 790

116095 CL golf print 160x112.5.indd 6

2011/08/29 10:13 AM

24

WESTIE’S WAY

COMING OF AGE

By Wayne Westner

A

nother year and another Open Championship come and gone.

And once again the 2013 Open did not fail us, bringing the usual drama and excitement that it normally does with at least a dozen top golfers in with a chance to win as the players entered the final round.

Jack Nicklaus was once quoted as saying that in a way Majors are the easiest to win as more of them are lost, as opposed to being won. This is often true and, although we all loved to see Ernie Els win last year, the championship was as much lost by Adam Scott closing with a few bogeys as by Ernie’s fabulous final nine.

However, this year there can be little doubt that Phil Mickelson won

the Open Championship and won it with a truly magnificent final round.

Overall it was a fantastic tournament.

The course was in really good condition and just what is needed for a true links challenge. In The Open’s I played over the years I found the hard running conditions very difficult. These conditions test every part of your game as well as your patience, because you are going to

have both bad and good breaks and you must accept both and get on with it. A little like life, I guess.

The difficulty when the fairways and greens are so firm is to shape the ball through the narrow fairways and avoid the deep pot bunkers, which guarantee a dropped shot or even a double. And although it may look like these bunkers are small and therefore easy to avoid, the ball tends to collect towards them.

One has to, on some occasions, pitch the ball anything from 30 to 40 metres short of a green and hope that the ball takes a bounce forward and stays on line. If it doesn’t, you can be left with a tricky downwind chip shot or a lengthy putt.

And anticipating run on the ball with your drive is equally as difficult – often the ball will run and run, finding a bunker you really thought was out of distance. Bottom line, these conditions truly test every part of a player’s game from patience, imagination, boldness, long game, short game and, most of all, course management. If there is any weakness in your game the course will find you out.

Mickelson’s preparation for The Open was perfect. He once again played in the Scottish Open, also played on a links, and won having finally, after all these years, learned how to feather the ball and not hit it too hard.

The moment you hit the ball hard you are at the mercy of the wind.

Added to that he made adjustments to his 3-wood, making it stronger until it played more like an old-time 2-wood. He used this both from the tee and on the fairway, which allowed him to add an extra wedge to his bag.

And, as the best wedge player in the world, this gave him more options around the green, which is essential on links courses where you face some very strange and sometimes apparently impossible shots. A feat he demonstrated so well, both at the Scottish Open at the 18th in the play-off, and the 16th at The Open on the Sunday. It takes a very special player to overcome the disappointment of losing yet another US Open, bounce back and win two in a row in Scotland.

Unfortunately, as per usual, when Tiger Woods is in the hunt one rarely gets to see the other players on TV and we only got to see Mickelson on the odd occasion, up to the time when he became a contender. It is said often that Major championships really start on Sunday on the back nine. Everything up to then is just about getting into position for the final stretch.

25 This time it was more like the last three holes on Sunday, and to finish par, birdie, birdie won him the event.

When this happens with an early finisher the other players still on the course stop playing the course and start playing the already posted score on the giant leader board, often coming up short.

I don’t think the public understand the magnitude of a Major. It is not just about the money for first prize, it’s the fact that you are now part of history as well as getting a five to 10 year exemption on the Tours, increased value of endorsements, 10 year contracts, special events, as well as appearance money to overseas events. Winning a Major these days can easily be worth anything from $20- to $50-million.

Going back to The Open, one has to feel sorry for Lee Westwood, who along with a lot of really good players, Monty being one, has yet to win a Major. It’s the last label a world

class player wants – to be the best player never to have won a Major.

Unfortunately I believe Lee’s game is not complete and, although he is known to be one of the best strikers of a golf ball, he falls short on his chipping, bunker shots and putting. Having said that, it was ironic that this time he putted great and for some unknown reason he started getting ahead of the ball and his long game let him down time and time again.

We all believed that the challenge would come from Adam Scott and Tiger Woods, but it did not. Adam showed his ability to hit the ball well, but this time round his long putter let him down and Tiger appeared to be scared. Never have I seen him play so conservatively. I have always believed that in order to be a great wind player you have to be able to hit a lot of very soft shots because once you hit the ball a little too hard it tends to spin too much and you lose control if

He knows how to conduct himself, win over the gallery by always having his emotion in check, smiling and acknowledging the crowds for their praise of well executed shots

it. I believe Tiger still has to learn to power off and feather the ball more in tough, windy conditions.

Phil showed that you have to go out there and win an event, and that playing really conservatively with today’s standard of golfer is just not going to cut it. When you get into contention you have to be a lot more aggressive and take a few chances as 40- and 50-foot putts are not going to be made on greens as fast as Muirfield’s were.

Hendrik Stenson showed some signs of his return to form as he did play well all week, but made a few mistakes coming home. It really is nice to see him bounce back to form after his long absence and win the SA Open late last year. It will not be long before he is in the winner’s circle again.

Hats off to Ian Poulter for his three birdies in a row at the turn and getting into contention. However, he appeared to get a little too excited making bogey at 16 and could only manage a par at 17. He too seems to believe now that he can win a Major, as his close friend Justin Rose did by capturing the US Open at Merion.

Zac Johnson also showed his quality as a player, only to fall short.

And well done to the young Japanese sensation Hideki Matsuyama, who showed how classy a player he is all week long. The youngster showed no emotion and

just went about his business. I am sure it will not be long before we see him on the winner’s podium.

However, at the end of the week it was Phil Mickelson who finished on top and displayed once again his amazing shot-making ability and imagination to win the Claret Jug. He is arguably one of the game’s all-time greatest short game players. He truly has proved that he has become one of the greats of the game as well as being a real superstar.

He knows how to conduct himself, win over the gallery by always having his emotion in check, smiling and acknowledging the crowds for their praise of well executed shots. Not only is he a great ambassador for the game but has also overcome personal issues with his wife Amy’s health and is involved in various charities.

Congratulations Phil, you are indeed the champion golfer of the year.

Profile: Wayne Westner is the winner of multiple tournaments worldwide, including two SA Open titles, the Dubai Desert Classic, the 1996 World Cup of Golf (partnering Ernie Els, they won by a world record margin) and the 1996 SA Order of Merit. He studied the golf swing for 25 years under all the top world teachers, including David Leadbetter, and now runs an advanced golf college at Selborne Golf Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

26

SWING THOUGHTS

By Theo Bezuidenhout

QUICKSAND

I

recently watched a movie called The Replacements. A group of no-hopers get a second chance at the National Football League (NFL) after a player strike. In one particular scene Gene Hackman, who plays the hardened coach, asks the team what really scares them. Some banter follows and Keanu Reeves, the team’s quarterback and best player, says he fears quicksand.

After more jokes about how scary real quicksand is, Reeves explains that he is afraid of mental quicksand. The kind of events where you are playing great and you are in the ‘zone’, but then something goes wrong and the proverbial cookie crumbles. Before you know it you are neck-deep in ‘quicksand’ – the harder you try to fight your way out of it, the more it suffocates you.

I don’t think you can call yourself a golfer if this scenario has not occurred in your game before. In this month’s column we look at what to do when you are experiencing mental ‘quicksand’, and how it can actually be benefit instead of a hindrance.

QUICKSAND AS A TRIGGER One of the natural reactions we have to experiencing ‘quicksand’ is to want to get out of it as quickly as possible. As with real quicksand, the more you try to move and the quicker you try to move, the worse the stranglehold gets.

So instead of speeding up and trying to get holes done as quickly as possible, slow everything down. If you are breathing shallowly, try to breathe deeper. If you are moving very fast, walk slower. And even talk slower if you tend to turn into a motor-mouth when you get anxious.

The important aspect is to notice when your arousal levels change, or when you get anxious, and to use this to remind you about how to use ‘quicksand’ to your advantage.

Looking at Phil Mickelson’s two most recent Majors, one can clearly see the difference between being in ‘quicksand’ and being able to manoeuvre one’s way out of it. At Merion he was very quick

You are in the ‘zone’, but then something goes wrong and the proverbial cookie crumbles and looked anxious throughout the last round. While at Muirfield the walk, hand actions and decision-making were very clearly considered.

So the first rule of ‘quicksand’?

Don’t panic!

SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS If one looks at the best players in the world, the one astounding thing about them is how easy they make it look. We are not just talking about the swing or the short game here, but also the mental game and decision making. It is wonderful to see a player at full flight, like Mickelson at Muirfield, and to study how simple the decision making process is and how they stick to it, no matter what.

This does not mean that the best players in the world do not experience ‘quicksand’? Nope. Charl Schwartzel

and Tiger Woods are only two examples of great players who have recently struggled in the last rounds of Majors. Does this mean they are chokers? Most certainly not. In fact, the more often you play well, the more you put yourself in a situation where ‘quicksand’ can affect you. Just ask Lee Westwood.

The crucial element is to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in your game as well as in your decision-making process. When you are playing badly, do you tend to become too conservative or do you become overly aggressive to make up for mistakes?

Do you go into too much detail with each shot when you have a ‘quicksand’ experience, or do you just pull a club and hit? By understanding these mindsets and schemas you may have, you can start to make decisions more simply and clearly when you are under the gun. If you get it right four out 10 times, you are doing better than Tiger, so there definitely is some hope for all of us!

So rule number two: take your time deciding what needs to happen next.

WHAT IS YOUR ‘GO TO’?

In keeping with our American theme, PGA commentators often refer to a player’s ‘go to shot’ or ‘go to club’.

Meaning the one club or shape that he

or she can trust in, in a pressure situation. The mental game is no different. Unfortunately it seems that when regular golfers experience ‘quicksand’ on the course, they tend to move away from their ‘go to’ clubs, shapes and even mindsets.

A typical move in the mental game is to start acting in ways that are not congruent with what you would normally do. Thus a player who talks quite a bit on the course, will, when faced with ‘quicksand’, start to become quieter and even stop talking for minutes on end. All in the belief that this is what they have to do to get their focus back. This mindset is erroneous to say the least, and it can cause ‘quicksand’ to get a proper hold of you due to the fact that you are out of your normal pattern of behaviour.

Thus, instead of acting differently when ‘quicksand’ happens, focus on your ‘go to’s’ on the course. These could include anything from how you normally approach certain holes to the fact that you whistle while things are tough on the course. Figure out what helps you to focus on the game and the situation and practise these habits. Inevitably they are the ones that will keep you afloat in a sea of ‘quicksand’.

Please share your mental issues with us (teetogreen@ ballyhoomedia.co.za; we will pass it onto Theo). The WINNING LETTER will receive a Titleist glove and one dozen Titleist Pro V1s.

PROFILE: Theo Bezuidenhout is a sport psychologist in private practice and consults with golfers of all abilities and ages. His clients include top juniors, amateurs and Sunshine Tour professionals. Theo has been a columnist for Tee to Green for over seven years. He is also an ambassador for Titleist. He has a special interest in parental involvement in sport and has also been involved with the Glacier Junior Series for the last two years as a consultant. He refuses to divulge how often he gets to work on his own golf.

UNIFORMITY PREPARATION PRECISION. PERFORMANCE IS FOR EVERY PLAYER. ER. PROVEN. COMMITMENT. CONSISTENCY. INNOVATION. THE NEW PRO V1® AND PRO V1x.™ www.titleist.co.uk

TeetoGreen_TitleistProV12013_225x55.indd 1

04/04/2013 10:09

Targeted Energy Release!

Raise your Performance and Reach your Goals with Increased Energy Levels!

Amino Acids, Anti-Oxidants, B-Complex Vitamins, Calcium and other Essential Vitamins and Minerals

This exciting 5-in-1 combination supplement can help your body to help itself.

Amino Acids - are the building blocks of the body, which help to build healthy muscles and speed up muscle recovery. Amino Acids can also help to build muscle mass or assist with weight loss (when combined with a lifestyle change).

Anti-Oxidants - help to boost the immune system and fight infections.

B-Complex Vitamins - help to produce healthy red blood cells, which are important for oxygen transport, thus providing the muscles of the body with more energy.

Win R1000!

Take part in our questionnaire at www.staminogro.com and you could be our

Cash Winner!

T&C’s apply and are available at www.staminogro.com. There is only one prize of R1000 plus a StaminoGro product hamper, the competition will be drawn on the 28 November 2013. The judges’ decision is final. The winner will be contacted via details supplied on the entry form.

staminogro t2g F2.indd 1

Contact our Friendly Pharmacists with any Product Related Queries at +27 (0) 11 251 6500 or pharmacist@georen.co.za Available at Dis-Chem, Clicks and other Leading Pharmacies Take four Tablets daily

two to three hours before going to sleep

South African Institute for

Drug-Free Sport

Approved for Drug Free Sport

Suitable for vegetarians

with or after food

Sucrose, Lactose, Gluten and Tartrazine free!

Visit www.staminogro.com for more information

2013/08/05 10:33 AM

28

HEALTHY GOLF

MIRROR, MIRROR…

By Anastasia Dobson-du Toit

N

o matter who you are, at some point in your life you have looked in the mirror and been unhappy with who was staring back at you. While there are some things that only a vast amount of money and the surgeon’s scalpel can fix, there are other things that you can do to feel better about yourself, such as dieting, exercise and weight-loss programmes.

TIPS TO HELP YOU NOT TIP THE SCALE Exercise and dieting regimens are the usual route to weight-loss, but there are certain vitamins that can help to decrease hunger, improve weight-loss and increase your exercise performance, so that your scale can heave a sigh of relief when the slimmer, fitter you steps forward!

• Amino acids are the building blocks of the body, stimulating the production of natural nitric oxide and human growth hormone, increasing the breakdown of fat, and muscle mass; • B-Complex Vitamins are required to help your body break down fat and help you digest food, creating energy and controlling your metabolism; • Vitamin C improves exercise performance and enhanced calorie expenditure from fat, and may increase recovery from exercise; • Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to protect cells and prevent infection, and enhances blood circulation; • Calcium and Vitamin D can help with the reduction of body weight and fat mass;

Start your exercise routine with a cardio workout to get your heart rate up • Omega-3 lipids in the blood prompt the body to use more of its own fat stores for energy; • Magnesium can help with the metabolism of carbohydrates, and reduces fatigue.

A Multi-Vitamin Supplement shouldn’t be considered a dietary replacement.

EXERCISE Exercise remains an important part of a dieting programme. Always start your exercise routine with a cardio workout to get your heart rate up, then proceed with weight-bearing exercises. In each session, alternate your upper and lower body exercises and finish off with stomach exercises.

Work in sets of three with one minute rest between each set. End your session by stretching for five minutes.

Exercise releases endorphins, known as the ‘happy hormones’, which help to produce a feeling of well-being.

MUSCLE CRAMPS Amino acids, electrolytes, fluid and minerals such as magnesium are

essential for muscle repair and recovery, and preventing muscle cramps.

WATER Drink at least 1,5 to 2 litres of water daily, preferably cold water as your body uses energy to get the water to body temperature. Water can help to maintain the fluid balance in your body, control calories and energise muscles.

If you feel peckish, drink a glass or two of water. Don’t try the same thing with a glass of wine, as alcohol is not calorie-free, and every sip can add to your waistline.

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION Everyone has tried to cut out cakes, chocolates, sugar and soft drinks, but by denying the very thing that your body is craving only seems to make us want it more.

Everything you eat and drink has a ‘price’ attached to it, whether it’s the salt in the potato crisps that can lead to high blood pressure, the fats found in your favourite burger

which can clog your heart, or the five teaspoons of sugar in the 10 cups of tea that you are sure you can’t live without, but may be a contributing factor to diabetes.

Stick to smaller meals per day instead of three main meals.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as not only does it provide your body with the fuel it needs for the day ahead, it helps to kick-start your metabolism. Remember not to eat your dinner too late, have at least two to three hours before going to sleep to allow your body the time it needs to digest the meal.

SLEEP Sleep deprivation is known to interfere with hormone balances and increases the production of a hormone that makes you feel hungry.

Eat sensibly, drink in moderation and go to bed early. Now that we have suggested removing all the pleasures from life, there is one thing left – playing a good round of golf in the sunshine (with lots of Vitamin D), but give your caddy a break and let him drive the cart while you carry your golf clubs to the next hole!

PROFILE: Anastasia Dobson-du Toit is the Responsible Pharmacist and Technical Director of Georen Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, a company that specialises in quality nutraceuticals for the past 15 years. Anastasia is a qualified pharmacist and holds a Bcom degree, as well having passed her MBA with distinction in 2012.

Anastasia leads the team that develops, manufactures, brands and markets the Happy to be Healthy brands under her care.

TABAC ORIGINAL TEE TO GREEN ADVERT 225X320.indd 2

2013/07/12 12:25 PM

30

equipment

ROUND-UP: who is using what and where on the professional tours Other Clubs useD

Drivers Here is a look at the drivers used by the top five finishers at the Oak Hill: 1. JasOn Dufner: Titleist 910D2 (Mitsubishi Diamana ahina 60 X shaft), 9.5 degrees 2. JiM furyk: Callaway fT Optiforce 440cc (fujikura speeder VC 6.2x shaft), 10.1 degrees 3. Henrik sTensOn: TaylorMade r1 (Grafalloy Blue X shaft), 9 Degrees 4. JOnas BliXT: Cobra Zl encore (Graphite Design Tour aD Di-6X shaft), 8.5 degrees T5. aDaM sCOTT: Titleist 913D3 (Graphite Design Tour aD Di-8 shaft), 9.5 degrees T5. sCOTT PierCy: Titleist 910D2 (Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 63x shaft), 7.5 degrees

in the winner’s bag enOuGH Of all THe alsO rans, what did Jason Dufner have in his bag? Dufner set the course record at Oak hill Country Club and tied the lowest round in a Major championship on Friday with a 63, and came through to win the Pga Championship on sunday.

Dufner accomplished the feat with a new set of titleist 714 aP2 prototype irons in the bag. he used the irons for the very first time at the world golf Championshipsbridgestone invitational and finished t4.

DriVer: Titleist 910D2 (Mitsubishi Diamana Ahina 60 X shaft), 9.5 degrees 3-wOOD: Titleist 913F (Aldila VS Proto 70 X shaft), 13.5 degrees 5-wOOD: Titleist 913Fd (Mitsubishi Diamana ilima 80 X shaft), 18 degrees

HyBriD: Titleist 913H (True Temper Project X PXi 6.5 shaft), 19 degrees irOns (4-Pw): Titleist 714 AP2 prototype (True Temper Project X PXi 6.5 shafts) weDGes: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (54 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Golf Spinner shaft), Titleist Vokey Design TVD K-grind (60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Golf Spinner shaft) PuTTer: Scotty Cameron by Titleist prototype putter Ball: Titleist Pro V1 it seems that most of the players put new wedges in their bags. not necessarily a different model, but rather a new club with fresh grooves to combat the heavy rough at Oak hill. some players were going with higher-bounce wedges to handle the coarse sand in the bunkers.

JiM furyk used a new putter at this week’s PGA Championship – the Odyssey Versa #1W. His first week using a new putter nearly produced his second Major championship win at the PGA Championship. Furyk had been using an Odyssey Versa #1W (WBW) since the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, when he walked into an Orlando, Floridabased Edwin Watts and bought the putter.

DusTin JOHnsOn’s Scotty Cameron putter.

The long list of putters Dustin Johnson has used this season – it was up to four different models coming into the PGA Championship – increased by one, after the seven-time PGA TOUR winner switched to a Scotty Cameron GoLo 5 early in the week.

els uses new ball. In search of a new ball for the year’s final Major, Ernie Els started using Callaway’s HEX Chrome++ ball for the first time at Oak Hill on the Thursday. The ball featured a softer cover and more spin and is currently a Tour-only model.

JasOn Day made a number of interesting equipment changes at the PGA Championship.

The Aussie went with two 2-irons – one of the irons was bent to 16.5 degrees and lengthened a 1/2-inch to 1-iron specs – and pulled his pitching wedge for a 47-degree TaylorMade ATV wedge.

Day also went back to his trusty TaylorMade Ghost Spider S putter, noting he felt more comfortable with the model on Oak Hill’s greens.

JusTin rOse typically carries only one fairway wood in his bag – a 16.5-degree TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2 HL. But with the rough posing a problem, the US Open champion added an Adams Golf Super 9031 hybrid because he liked how the club cut through the rough. Rose also noted the hybrid gave him another option to reach Oak Hill’s par-5s in two shots.

Unfortunately his all round play did not make him a contender.

HunTer MaHan retired the oldest club in his bag at the PGA Champion-ship, dropping his 18-degree PING i15 hybrid for a PING Anser hybrid (Aldila Tour Blue 85X shaft).

WIN WITH LIKE THE T2 GREEN FACEBOOK PAGE (WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ T2 GREEN MAGAZINE) AND STAND A CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF FIVE CS2 PUTTING AID UNITS WORTH R849!

Endorsed by Ian Baker Finch (British Open winner, and currently head analyst for CBS Golf Channel in the USA) and Mike Shannon (Top rated US putting coach)

2013 MAJOR REVIEW ISSUE

TEE TO GREEN

August 2013 www.tee2green.co.za

7 Pages of highlights, lowlights and everything in between

TRAVEL Major courses you can play PG

123053 - Platinum WCC 50x225-Repro.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

34

PROFILE Golf’s greatest showman

YOUR FREE COPY 1

2013/06/12

7:59 AM

PG

8

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE OF TEE TO GREEN ON YOUR PC, TABLET OR MOBILE PHONE FOR FREE AT www.tee2green.co.za

34 TRAVEL

Major courses you can play One of the great things about golf is that we can test our skills against the best and to an extent duplicate the experience of playing on some of the iconic golf courses around the world.

PHOTO: PETERWONGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

35

t some, unfortunately, the large sign at the entrance saying ‘members only’ means just that – and unless you are playing with a member, don’t even try to get past the gate. But others, and among them some of the best courses in the world, are open to all.

So it’s time to dip into that special travel fund and knock a course or two off your bucket list.

ABOVE: Plenty of trouble lurks on Bethpage Black’s short par five 4th Hole. And this is regarded as the easiest hole on the course.

LEFT: If your knees aren’t shaking on some of the shots at Whistling Straits, check your pulse. Like the 3rd Hole, a par 3 aptly named – O’Man.

BETHPAGE BLACK Bethpage State Park is a mecca for public golf, featuring five 18-hole regulation golf courses, including the world-renowned Black Course, which was the site of the US Open in 2002 and 2009.

In the early 1930s, the Bethpage Park Authority purchased the Lenox Hills Country Club and other adjacent properties to build what we now know as Bethpage State Park. Famous golf course architect AW Tillinghast was hired to design and oversee construction of three new golf courses (Black, Red and Blue), as well as modify the Lenox Hills Course, which became the Green Course. Due to the increased demand for golf, the Yellow Course, designed by Alfred Tull, was opened in 1958. Approximately 300,000 rounds are played annually on the five courses at Bethpage, all of which start from the Clubhouse area.

The Black Course is a difficult and challenging course that should be played only by low-handicap golfers. The course is for walkers only, and its slope rating is one of the highest in the northeast. Anyone who has played will tell you it is a true test of golf skill and physical endurance. This was one of the last courses designed by master golf course architect Tillinghast, and is said by many to be his finest work. The Black Course served as the site of the 102nd US Open Championship in 2002, and again at the 109th US Open in 2009.

The narrow fairways, high roughs, well placed bunkers and small greens help to make this an extremely difficult course. It regularly ranks among the best courses in the country. Golfweek rated it the #1 best municipal course and it made their list of the top-100 classic American golf courses. It also made Golf Digest’s top-100 American public and private course list in 2005, and was number seven on their Top-100 American Public Courses. Golf Magazine included it on their Top-100 Courses in the World, and ranked it 10th in the Top Courses Since 1959. Every serious golfer should test their skills, and what better place to do it than the Black?

Known as ‘The People’s Country Club’, it has hosted more than 14 million rounds of public golf. Bethpage regulars are some of the sport’s most dedicated golfers, willing to go to great lengths few others would consider just

TRAVEL

“If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved this course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.”

– Jack Nicklaus.

37

A par 3 less than 100 metres sounds easy, but the 7th at Pebble Beach is anything but.

to get in a round. Every evening, scores of players arrive in the parking lot and spend the night sleeping in their cars. This is the only way to ensure a round at Bethpage, since the phone-in reservation system is usually jammed with thousands of calls from the New York metro area the minute it opens at 7.30am.

WHISTLING STRAITS Open, rugged and windswept terrain defines the walking-only, Links-style Straits Course sculpted along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.

A masterpiece in the world of golf, Whistling Straits was ranked #2 in Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses for 2013/2014.

It features nearly 1,000 bunkers, though many are just eye-candy. It was built on a 560-acre, abandoned military airfield that hugs the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

It is part of the American Club – the only AAA five-diamond resort in the Midwest (since 1984) and owned by Herb Kohler, a leading name in plumbing fixtures who also happens to own the Old Course Hotel overlooking the famous Road Hole at St Andrews.

With unlimited budget and something like 13,000 truckloads of sand, the mission of creating a world class golf experience was accomplished.

Designed by Pete Dye (and his wife, Alice), Whistling Straits emulates the great old seaside Links courses of the British Isles, invoking an image of the game founded more than 400 years ago. The Straits Course is open with rugged and windswept terrain. A more mature course than one would expect, golfers encounter huge sandy areas, deep pot bunkers, grass-topped dunes, big and undulating greens and majestic views of Lake Michigan from each of its 18 holes.

Dye has a reputation for being a master of illusion – hiding targets and bailouts while directing the player’s eyes toward trouble. It has been said that Whistling Straits demands a higher level of tee-togreen skills. It requires players to hit longer and more controlled tee shots and approaches. Penalties are severe for any mistakes.

One thing worth noting is that while it is true that Dye has created a challenging course for PGA Tour pros, he also always builds five tees.

The forward ones are very considerate for amateurs. As for the back ones, as Kohler once remarked, “Pete’s always screwing around with the mind of the professional and he does it in an amazing way.”

PEBBLE BEACH “If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved this course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.” – Jack Nicklaus.

There are few golf thrills like teeing-up for the first time on Pebble Beach Golf Links. You sense the presence of golf ’s biggest legends. You anticipate each and every storied hole while recounting some of the greatest moments in golf history.

Since 1919, the exquisite beauty and unique challenge of Pebble Beach Golf Links have thrilled

golfers and spectators alike. Designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, the course hugs the rugged coastline, providing wide-open vistas, cliff-side fairways and sloping greens.

Pebble Beach Golf Links has been the site of many of golf ’s most prestigious tournaments, including five US Open Championships. It will again host the US Open in 2019.

As you play the course, let your mind go back to the dramatic moments of golfing history that happened here.

In the 1972 US Open, Jack Nicklaus went into the windy final with a one-shot lead over Lee Trevino, a two-shot edge on Bruce Crampton and Kermit Zarley, and a three-shot advantage over Arnold Palmer. After nine holes, Nicklaus had increased his lead to four and Trevino dropped out of the chase, but by hole 12, Palmer closed to within one.

Then on the par-3 17th, Nicklaus made one of the most famous shots in golf history. Ahead by three, he prepared to hit a 1-iron. But the wind forced his clubface further closed than he intended, and he had to make a splitsecond adjustment on impact. The result: a shot that defies the wind, hits the

38 TRAVEL flagstick, and rolls to a stop five inches from the cup. His birdie seals a three-stroke victory over a late-charging Crampton.

Ten years later the 17th hole was again the turning point. Again Nicklaus was involved and the result was once again historic. This time, however, Nicklaus was on the other end of the equation. Tom Watson began the day tied for the lead; Nicklaus three shots back. On the strength of a run of five straight birdies, however, Nicklaus soon overtook Watson, who charged back for the lead. As Nicklaus headed into the clubhouse, the two men found themselves in a tie.

But then Watson came to that famous 17th hole. His 2-iron drifted into the rough left of the green, 16 feet from the cup. The best he could reasonably hope for was a bogey, for a one-shot Nicklaus lead. And then, it happened: Watson chose a sand wedge, pitched the errant ball into the air, then watched as it dropped onto the green and shot straight into the hole. A birdie two for a one-shot lead! His birdie on 18 seals the victory, adding yet another chapter to the 17th’s role in great US Open finishes.

The US Open celebrated its 100th playing at Pebble Beach Golf Links in June 2000, showcasing what would become a symbolic passing of the torch from golfing great Jack Nicklaus to heir-apparent Tiger Woods. Woods’ performance was nothing short of unbelievable. His first-round score of 65 was the best 18-hole total in any of the five US Opens held at Pebble Beach.

On Friday, he shot a 69, giving him a six-stroke lead on the field. Despite a triple bogey on Saturday’s third hole, Woods rebounded to a par-71 and extended his lead to nine strokes.

Finally, on Sunday, in front of the largest US Open television audience in two decades, he turned a dominant victory into a historic feat. Tiger combined a bogey-free round with birdies on holes 10, 12, 13 and 14. His 67 gave him a four-day total of 272, tying the record for the lowest 72-hole score ever in the national championship, and beat his nearest competitor by 15 strokes.

Every golfer deserves to play “Pebble” at least once in his or her life. There’s no time like the present.

CARNOUSTIE Carnoustie (pronounced Car-noo-stee) is forever remembered in the modern mind with the sight of a forlorn Jean Van de Velde paddling in the Barry Burn in 1999, when a truly amazing and controversial Open Championship catapulted Carnoustie back to prominence in sensational fashion.

Paul Lawrie’s 3, 3 finish to win the 1999 Open was a stunning achievement while Jean Van de Velde’s comment to reporters after losing out was understandable: “It is a golf tournament – a game – and I gave it my best shot. Next time I hit a wedge, OK, you all forgive me? You say I’m a coward, whatever; next time – I hit a wedge!”

The roll-call of Open Carnoustie Champions is legendary. Tommy Armour in 1931 got the better of the local man Macdonald Smith, who has been called the best golfer to have never won either The Open or the US Open, while Sir Henry Cotton in 1937 kept the rampant Americans at bay in atrocious weather, in what is recognised as this supreme master’s greatest performance.

Ben Hogan, reputedly the best golfer of his era and indeed maybe any era, only once came to the UK for the 1953 Carnoustie Open, practising at nearby Panmure, and he is said to have hit only one bad shot in the whole tournament – at the 17th in his third round – where he took 6.

He forever made famous the sixth hole (520/575 yards) where there is a run of ‘John Low-style’ bunkers in the middle of the fairway, which give the player a strategic choice of whether to take on what became known as ‘Hogan’s Alley’ between the out of bounds up the left or play short, which then required a long iron third shot. Hogan smacked all four of his drives up the left, which, with a prevailing south-westerly wind, the line requires one to start the ball over the OB and rely on the wind bring it back into play.

Gary Player won in 1968 and a young Tom Watson won in 1975, both putting their Open wins down to the eagles they achieved at another iconic hole, the 14th, where the famous ‘spectacle’ bunkers create a

ABOVE: St Andrews Cathedral in the town of St Andrews.

BELOW: The Barry Burn turns the 17th and 18th holes at Carnoustie into a nightmare.

BOTTOM: A forlorn Jean Van de Velde paddling in the Barry Burn in 1999 Open.

blind approach shot on this dogleg hole that shares a double green with the fourth.

Carnoustie is not spectacular in its vistas and does not possess the beautiful movement in the ground of, for example, Royal County Down, or Royal Dornoch. Nevertheless, the ‘joy to be alive’ is intense, playing on flat terrain that contains no weak hole. It is golf on a grand scale, a Links built for big golfers, for all the bunkers are placed to catch their shots rather than those of their weaker brethren.

ST ANDREWS On top of every self-respecting golfer’s list should be a visit to the mecca of golf, St Andrews. The Old Course will be hosting the Open Championship in 2015, so what better time than next year to make the trip and have the golfing experience of a lifetime.

As a public course St Andrews is open to all; however, it is also more in demand than any other and, although certain travel agents are granted group bookings, times are allocated according to ballot. Plan to spend a few days in the Old Town and in this way you will be guaranteed a game on one the days.

As for the rest of your stay, there are many fine Links courses in the area, not least of which is the ‘New Course’ at St Andrews – only 200 years old, in contrast to the 600-odd of the Old Course. And then there is the town itself, a golf and university town, filled with golf-themed pubs, a golf museum and any number of pro shops selling all manner of golfing memorabilia.

Visit the town’s old gravesite and pay respects to Young Tom Morris.

The memorial next to the grave carries this immortal transcript: “Deeply regretted by numerous friends and all golfers, he thrice in succession won the Championship belt and held it without envy, his many amiable qualities being no less acknowledged than his golfing achievements.”

40

humour Illustration Dave Edwards

HOW True AlwAys concede The fourTh PuTT. Bunkers hAve The unnerving hABiT of rushing ouT To mEET Your bAll. curing The fAulTs in your swing cAn never Be AffecTed in jusT one lesson from A ProfESSioNAl. CurlY, dowNhill, lEfT-TorighT puTTs Are usuAlly followed By curly, uphill, riGhT-To-lEfT PuTTS. delicATe chip shoTs over Bunkers AlwAys cATch The Top of The BAnk And fAll bACk. during The firsT round wiTh A BrAnd new seT of cluBs, The BAll hAs To Be plAyed from A roAd. immediATely you puT on your wATerproofs iT SToPS rAiNiNG.

10 year wait A mAn is strAnded on a desert island, all alone for 10 years. One day, he sees a speck in the horizon. He thinks to himself, “It’s not a ship.” The speck gets a little closer and he thinks, “It’s not a boat.” The speck gets even closer and he thinks, “It’s not a raft.”

Then, out of the surf comes this gorgeous blonde woman, wearing a wet suit and scuba gear. She comes up to the guy and says, “How long has it been since you’ve had a cigarette?”

“10 years!”, he says.

She reaches over and unzips a waterproof pocket on her left sleeve and pulls out a pack of fresh cigarettes.

He takes one, lights it, takes a long

drag, and says, “Man, oh man! Is that good!”

Then she asks, “How long has it been since you’ve had a drink of whisky?”

He replies, “10 years!”

She reaches over, unzips her waterproof pocket on her right sleeve, pulls out a flask and gives it to him.

He takes a long swig and says, “Wow, that’s fantastic!”

Then she starts unzipping a longer zipper that runs down the front of her wet suit and she says to him, “And how long has it been since you’ve had some real fun?”

And the man replies, “Wow! Don’t tell me you’ve got golf clubs in there!”

This is my firsT golf lesson The schoolteacher was taking her first golf lesson.

“Is the word spelt p-u-t or p-ut-t?’’ she asked the instructor.

“P-u-t-t is correct,’’ he replied. “Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means merely a vain attempt to do the same thing.”

were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. engineer: What’s with these guys?

We must have been waiting for 15 minutes! doctor: I don’t know, but I’ve never seen such ineptitude! pastor: Hey, here comes the greens keeper. Let’s have a word with him.

[Dramatic pause] “Hi George. Say, what’s with that group ahead of us?

They’re rather slow, aren’t they?” george: Oh, yes, that’s a group of

An engineer, docTor, And pAsTor golfing A pastor, a doctor and an engineer

iN A four-bAll GAmE, Your pArTner is righT on his gAme while you Aren’T or viCE vErSA.

LAWS Of GOLf • No matter what causes a golfer to duff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant, “You looked up,” or invoke the wrath of the universe.

• Every par-3 hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers. The shorter the hole, the greater its desire.

• Topping your drive on the first tee is the most humiliating experience known to man.

• Palm trees eat golf balls.

• Golf balls from the same “sleeve” tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water.

• A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.

• “Nice lag” can usually be translated to “lousy putt.” Similarly, “tough break” can usually be translated “way to miss an easy one, sucker.”

• Golf should be given up at least twice a month.

blind fire fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.

The group was silent for a moment. pastor: That’s so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight. doctor: Good idea. And I’m going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there’s anything he can do for them. engineer: Why can’t these guys play at night?

in mosT medAl rounds, you STArT bAdlY ThEN fAdE AwAY. The more you plAy A course The more oBsessed you bEComE wiTh iTS dANGErS. The mosT imporTAnT inches in golf Are noT Those BeTween The eArs: They Are The ones BeTween your BAll And The hole on The fourTh PuTT. The numBer of prAcTice BAlls recovered is AlwAys lESS ThAN ThE NumbEr hiT. The only AvAilABle spAce in The cAr pArk is AlwAys furThesT from The loCkEr-room.

The only downwind holes ArE PAr-3S. The people in fronT of you Are plAying Too slowly, The people Behind you Are PlAYiNG Too quiCklY. The reserve glove you hAve kepT for weT wEAThEr hAS ShruNk. The sAnd in The Bunkers is never The righT TexTure for Your PArTiCulAr TEChNiquE. The shorTer The puTT, The SmAllEr ThE holE bEComES. wATerproof Trousers cAnnoT Be removed wiThouT fAlliNG ovEr.

9

WINS

FROM 14 STARTS

PLAYERS USING THE ALL NEW ZSTAR XV, HAVE WON 62% OF ALL SUNSHINE TOUR EVENTS IN 2013.

THE NEW SPINSKIN DELIVERS UNRIVALLED LEVELS OF CONTROL AND PERFORMANCE.

PURE. PERFORMANCE.

* win info at print date 08 July 2013

THE ORIGINAL GOLF

ALL STORES NATIONWIDE

MONDAY 26 AUGUST TO SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2013

Hundreds of deals on golf clubs, accessories, clothing and footwear! www.TheProShop.co.za

twitter.com/theproshop

www.facebook.com/theproshop