Pick of Week: Shell Houston Open

Matt Kuchar 

This week the PGA Tour visits Redstone Golf Club for the Shell Houston Open. RedStone Golf Club is ranked the 14th toughest course. My pick of the week is Matt Kuchar. Kuchar has been playing well with over five top 10s in seven starts. Currently ranked fourth in scoring average with 69.51. Kuchar also has good history at this event with a 8th place finish last year. Jose Maria Olazabal will be in the field, making his first start in the U.S. since the 2009 St. Jude Classic. He will be using Houston as a warm up for next week's Masters. If not already eligible, the champion of the Shell Houston Open will make it to Augusta National for the Masters tournament. 32 in the field at Redstone are currently in the Masters Field. 

Note: So far the golfers I have used this 

year are- Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, 

Tiger Woods, and Matt Kuchar 

Pick of the Week: Shell Houston Open

In the final tune up before the first major of 2011, the PGA Tour heads to Texas for the Shell Houston Open. Redstone GC is a course that can be considered a "mini-Augusta" at times, with its tough greens and demanding tee shots. I desperately need a win now, so i'm going to go with talented Aussie Aaron Baddeley. Badds won this year's Northern Trust Open a few months ago, and I believe he'll do well this week, considering he's one of the best putters in the game. Once dubbed the "next Tiger", this Australian struggled for a few years but with the win this year, it shows that his game is starting to come around once again. And if he were to win here who knows, he might just be in the hunt next week for an even bigger prize.

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, and Aaron Baddeley.

Martin Laird Claims Win at Bay Hill

Martin Laird 

The first European to win at Bay Hill, Martin Laird captures the victory. Laird who struggled during his round was able to finish strong with his par save on the 17th hole and safely getting a par on 18th to finish at 8-under par. Steve Marino birdied the 18th to have a chance after getting a double on 17th that knocked him out of contention. Marino finished at 7-undr par. Spencer Levin’s going to have to wait for his first win. After starting the day just two shots off the lead. Levin finished 3 shots back after bogeys on four of his first six holes. Great play from David Toms and Marc Leishman who were  contenders on Sunday. 

Justin Rose 

For the second week in a row, great play from the Englishmen Justin Rose, who resides in London. With a 31, 5 under par back nine resulting in a final round of 68. Certainly Sean Foley's (Justin's golf instructor) approach to improving his game has been successful. Sergio Garcia clearly showing he still has the game to be a contender. Garcia finished at 4-under par for the tournament. A surprising 85 from Paul Goydos, that included a 7 hole stretch with a score of bogey or worst. The young Italian Matteo Manassero was not able to make the cut with rounds of 75 and 74. His hopes for playing the Masters Tournament twice as a 17 year old are coming to a close. Since he needed to move up the world golf ranking with a good finish here at Bay Hill. Dustin Johnson was also not able to make the cut, which suggest that the wind in Florida can be a big factor when it gets moving. With many great players not making the cut, many golf writers believe this tournament can be compared to a major.  

Highlights from the Final Round:

A side note for those that attended or watched the Mexico vs. Paraguay game this weekend. The Mexico squad is looking ready the  2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Chicharito who scored twice, just 22-years-old, has 14 goals in 22 games for Mexico.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Pick of the Week

This week the PGA Tour stops at Bay Hill Golf Club in the last event of the glorious Florida swing. This year's swing has been very memorable, and it ends on one of the best events in the entire PGA Tour season with the King watching all of the golfers trying to earn the trophy and his respect at the end of the week. Blogger Bernardo and I had our picks tie in terms of overall score at the finish of the Transitions tournament, so we both received half of a point. For my pick this week, I'm going with popular young American Rickie Fowler. The 22-year old oozes flash and talent, and I believe this week he'll breakthrough with his first career win on the King's course. He ranks 2nd in putts per round, and is 23rd in scoring average. Although he hasn't statistically hit the ball great this year, he is very underrated in that department. He also has had 2 top-10 finishes in his last 3 starts, so he is showing that he is starting to find his form. I see him holding the trophy this week over the likes of Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Sergio Garcia, who I predict will all play relatively well this week too.

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, and Rickie Fowler.

Pick of the Week: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard

Tiger Woods Approach shot to #18 on sunday
 which lead to his winning putt

The PGA Tour visits the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando,Fla., for Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.  My pick of the week is the respected Tiger Woods. Merely on his great play at the Bay Hill Invitational formally known as the Bay Hill Invitational. Woods has won this event six times starting in 2000 and his last win at Bay Hill was in 2009 with a total score of 275 after four rounds of golf. We all have been waiting for the week that Woods will return to the winners circle. It is evident with his past history at Bay Hill that he is certainly talented enough to achieve another victory at this event. Woods will surely be in the mix during the weekend. Hopefully now that he has been working with golf instructor Sean Foley (who now has a talented number of professional players under his care) he will find that old Tiger that can dominate the golf course like no other. Some notables players to watch are Hunter Mahan and for the second week in a row Sergio Garcia. Hunter Mahan has certainly had a great season this year with top 10s at both recent WGC events. We are not sure if the old Sergio is back but his first two rounds at the Transitions Championship 68-66 clearly show that he still has the game to compete. 

After making the winning putt in 2009 

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are- Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, and Tiger Woods

Range Session

JJ
Club: 3 hybrid    Flight: fade  

Bernardo

JJ

Bernardo
Club: 7 iron     Flight: Draw 

Some photographs from this week's range session at Laguna Seca Golf Course. As I commented on our last range session, we are currently in the process of a swing change. Me and JJ  unexpectedly have opposite flaws, hopefully we can build a bridge between our gaps and help each other improve. Stay tuned for a video of the upcoming range session. 

Out of the Woods

PGA Tour rookie Gary Woodland captured his first ever at the Transitions Championship this week. Only 26, Woodland took up "serious" competitive golf about 8 years ago, and has rapidly improved. He's a very athletic player who had to learn how to play the entire game instead of just hitting it long. He won at a score of 15 under par to win by one shot over Webb Simpson. Although Woodland had an erratic back 9 that included 5 birdies, 3 bogeys, and just 1 par, he managed to pull it off against a slew of competitors. This included 54-hole leader Justin Rose, who faltered early with 4 straight bogeys and finished with a disappointing 74. This win for Woodland earns him a trip to Augusta National, which is coming up very soon.

On some other notes, young pro Matteo Manassero of Italy finished in a tie for 20th, which increases his chances of reaching the Masters Tournament as well. This kid has some real promise, and will only continue to improve in the years he has to come. This week also welcomes the PGA Tour return of Sergio Garcia, who was electric the first two days but relatively quiet on the weekend. He ended up in a tie for 15th in his debut, but did show some signs of life that he could be making a good return to the golf world.

Highlights of Round 4 action:

Pick of the Week: Transitions Championship

Bubba Watson 

This week the PGA Tour visits the Copperhead course at Innisbrook for the Transitions Championship. With a field of over 18 major winners. It is likely there will be many highlights of great shots. Some notables players in the field this week are Sergio Garcia and Matteo Manassero. Sergio Garcia coming off a long break from playing professional golf in states, comments on that he has found the missing piece for his love of the game and hopes to play well. Matteo Manassero the up and coming Italian stallion, at the age of 17 this guy has the tools to be very successful. My pick of the week is Bubba Watson. After a week off from golf because of health issues, I believe the long hitter is ready to be a pin seeker and return to the winners circle. With a impressive win this year at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines golf course in San Diego and fourth place finish at the WGC match play. Bubba Watson is certainly capable of  doing well this week. Are you Bubba long? Because I am. 

Sergio Garcia

If you are new to golf I recommend you watch this guy play. 

Matteo Manassero

All Matteo has to do to be a longer hitter is switch to Taylormade Golf ( golf club company). 

Transitions Championship Pick of the Week

This week in the golf world the Tour heads to Copperhead for the Transitions Championship. This is the 3rd leg of the Florida swing, and is routinely one of the toughest scoring courses on tour. It is a very narrow course, has a lot of elevation, and contains many pine trees. It's no surprise that 5 out of the 10 winners of this tournament have been major champions. This course requires a lot of grinding and patience. Some notable entries for this tournament include: World No. 1 Martin Kaymer, young Italian phenom Matteo Manassero, and last week's winner Nick Watney. This also marks the PGA Tour debut of Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia, who has not competed in American since last year's PGA Championship. He feels very excited about this week and a lot of eyes will be on him this week. For my pick this week, I'm going to go with former U.S. Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia. He hasn't had his greatest year this year, but he plays tough courses pretty well (since he ground out a win at the extremely tough Winged Foot in '06) and I think this week he can regain some of his winning form. Hopefully I can tie the score with fellow blogger Bernardo (Hack Till We Die) as well, since he beat me last week.

Overall score: Bernardo 1, J.J. 0

Taming the Monster

The 2011 WGC Cadillac Championship featured many players in contention going into the back 9, only to have one man stand alone at the end. American Nick Watney took this year's title with an excellent final round 67 to finish at 16 under, two shots ahead of 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson. The Fresno State alum captured the title with clutch putting on the closing holes, and a perfectly played 18th hole to ice it. This is Watney's third career PGA Tour win, and will give him a nice jump in the world rankings and also have him considered as a favorite to win the Master's Tournament coming up in a few weeks. The low rounds of today belong to fellow Americans Ricky Fowler (-10) and Tiger Woods (-8) who both shot 66. Fowler finished in 8th and Woods ended up in a tie for 10th, respectively. Woods was noticeably hitting the ball better and putting much nicer on Sunday, which shows a good sign of improvement for him. Next week on the PGA Tour's Florida Swing is the Transitions Championship, which also boasts a strong field and a fairly difficult golf course to score on as well. Stay tuned.

Highlights of Round 4:

Bay Area Golf Show

This year I attended  the Bay Area Golf Show  at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Many golfers attend the show  for the unbelievable prices offered at Golf Mart's clearance sale that features name-brand clubs and equipment. Everything you need to play: clubs, apparel, shoes, accessories, balls, and rain gear. Many attendees also participate in putting and long drive competitions. Overall this is a event that pretty much includes the scope of golf. 

Many golfers like to try different clubs before they make a investment in a set of clubs. In my opinion Taylormade Golf has to be the best choice when it comes to drivers and fairway woods. Part of the Bay Area Golf Show includes a demo area with different brands like Adams, Bobby Jones, Bridgestone, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Mizuno, Nike, PING, TaylorMade and Titleist. Taylormade was truly a crowd favorite in the demo area. Everyone is trying to get their hands on Taylormade's new product the R11 driver. 

Throughout the show there is different presentations given, that vary from golf clubs to golf instruction. One of my favorite's every year is Ben Alexander's instructional presentation. He describes different common flaws by most golfers and presents solutions to improve those flaws. After his presentation, I was able to speak with Ben and catch up on old times. When I first started playing golf I went to Ben for some golf lessons at Poppy Hills Golf Course.  

Product Spotlight: 

There is many exhibitors at the show that vary from golf courses to product designers. This year I encountered a up and coming golf grip company. NO1 Grips is original from Japan but now seeking the American golf community. Their slogan is the "Power of Adhesion" and as a golfer I agree with that. Their golf grips are sticky and come in a firm or soft feel. For those that play golf, we know that a grip that feels good can help us be more confident during our golf swing. They currently have three different models and have a great selection of colors. At a price tag of fifteen dollars for each grip it can be a expensive investment to re-grip all of your clubs. The reason why I believe this grip stands out is because   on a rainy day you can simply wipe it down if it gets wet and it will regain its adhesiveness. Most regular grips when wet lose the feel and adhesiveness leading to less distance, accuracy, and touch. Also professional golfers like Y.E. Yang are using NO1 grips. 

The Hunter has become the hunted

As the wacky weather and wind has hindered the first and second rounds at the WGC Cadillac Championsihp, Hunter Mahan continues to command the way. He followed up his blistering 64 on Thursday with a solid 71 today to lead the field at 9 under par, one stroke better than new world number 1 Martin Kaymer of Germany. Although he did make 2 bogeys in a 3 hole stretch, he isn't worried at all. "I feel great," Hunter said when asked of how he feels at the halfway point. Hunter certainly has looked like the player to beat so far, with him being tied for first in birdies and 10th in putts per GIR (Greens In Regulation). He's been all around solid these first two rounds, and looks forward to seal the deal and grab his second career World Golf Championship victory.

SIDE NOTE: As this finish will most likely be won by one of these two young guns, the two greatest players in the last 10-15 years still continue to have their struggles. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are both at a shameful Even par, after shooting rounds of 74 (Woods) and 71 (Mickelson). They stand at T-34th out of this 66 player field, which is virtually right in the middle of the pack. However, they will be paired up again for the 3rd round (albeit 9 shots from the lead), so my guess is that they will be receiving as much air time as the leaders, especially if they play well.

Some highlights of today's action:

One and the Same

Super Bowl XLV winning (and game MVP) quarterback Aaron Rodgers is easily one of the best quarterbacks in football. He's smart, more athletic than most, and is very cool under pressure. He is also a very solid golfer, playing the game for more than 10 years now and with a golf handicap of about "6 or 7". This has him in a slim percentile of golfers with a single digit handicap (a handicap helps indicate your overall abilities on the golf course and can serve as a gauge for your skill level). Recently, he spent time on the driving range with The Office's Brian Baumgartner to talk golf, football, and practice habits. It's also is a good bit that shows Aaron's comedy skills as he takes jabs at Brian about his golf game. With all of this success, money, and fame coming to him rapidly, it's only a matter of time when he'll not only be a superstar football player, but a regular celebrity in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am every year.

(NOTE: The video has some trouble with the audio and video syncing up. My apologies for that.)

Guess Who?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo  This guy can do more than throw a football and win superbowls in his sleep. A regular competitor at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. With a handicap around plus 3, Romo has the game to back it up. I am guessing he has been focusing more on his golf game than football after this season's result. 

Romo's Swing Thoughts: 

"For me, hitting a solid drive is all about extension. When I extend my hands and arms away from my body in the backswing, I usually hit it pretty well."

Pick of the Week

As my fellow blogger Bernardo has pointed out, this week the PGA Tour takes their talents to South Beach, with the WGC Cadillac Championship on hand. There will be a lot of talent out there as well, since these WGC events usually draw some of the strongest fields the tour can offer. It will be played at the famed Blue Monster course again, where many memorable moments have happened. Hopefully some more can happen this week. This tournament should be interesting to watch the first few days as the top 21 players in the world ranking are going to be paired together in threesomes for the first 2 rounds... Now, off to my golf pick this week. I'm going to go with the southpaw this week, choosing Phil Mickelson to prevail in Doral. He won this event in 2009, and although he did suffer an early round exit from the match play event 2 weeks ago, he has posted a top-5 this year. I believe he'll bounce back this week in a winning way. (And for all you Tiger fans out there, I think he'll show signs of improvement, posting a top-10, but I don't think he will win just yet). Stay tuned for our thoughts about this tournament soon.

Pick of the Week

This week the PGA Tour visits TPC Blue Monster for WGC- Cadillac Championships. With a field of over 13 major winners. It will be a difficult task for those who overcome the Blue Monster. My pick of the week is Martin Kaymer. After a week off from falling short at a win at the WGC match play and becoming the world #1. Martin Kaymer is ready to defend his position as world #1 and with his top 5 finish at TPC Blue Monster last year. It is likely that his success there will allow him to do so. In the video above he suggest that something is missing to make him happy with his game. I believe it is a win at this WGC event. Also this week will be important to Tiger Woods since he has dropped to #5 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
-Hacktillwedie 

This week on the PGA Tour

Y.E. Yang , left, and  Rory Sabbatini, right, wait to putt on the 18th green at the Honda Classic golf tournament. Yang finished second and Sabbatini won the tournament. I was pulling for Y.E. Yang but those hats that Rory has recently been wearing must also bring luck to him. Also his change to Taylormade Golf is a big plus 

- Hacktillwedie

Range session with members of Hack Till We Die

Bernardo (me) and JJ were home for the weekend. We decided to have a good productive range session. With the good weather nothing was holding us back. Currently we are in the process of a swing change. Feel free to leave some feedback. Stay tuned for next weeks upload. 

- hacktillwedie