Thursday, January 29, 2009

The 2009 Major Winners on the PGA Tour will be

Masters - Sergio Garcia

U.S. Open - Tiger Woods

British Open - Padraig Harrington

PGA - Tiger Woods

I'm not really going out on a limb here. These are the top three ranked players in the world and it's very hard to bet against them. I'm actually tempted to put Tiger down for all four but maybe that will have to wait until 2010. Sergio had an unbelievable 2008 season, has been so close in several recent majors, and is due to get his first major win. Harrington has won three out of the last six majors, and has become unflappable and mentally strong down the stretch. He could get his third straight British this year. And obviously, world #1 will have a great shot to repeat at Bethpage for the U.S. Open and his game is usually on fire towards the end of each season giving him a great shot at the PGA.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

When will Tiger break Jack's record?

This could come sooner than you think. Currently, Tiger has fourteen majors, 4 shy of Jack Nicklaus’s record of eighteen. It is quite possible that Tiger could break this record as soon as next year. I know this is crazy be we are talking about Tiger here.

Let’s go back to 2008. Tiger won five out of the seven tournaments he played, with a second place at the Masters and a 5th place at the WGC. Going back even further to 2007, in his final six events, he won five times and finished 2nd once. To summarize, before his injury, he had won ten out of his last thirteen events with two runner up finishes and one 5th place finish. By the way, his total score for those thirteen tournaments was 161 under par.

In other words, he was on one of his patented blazing hot streaks and who knows what would have happened had he not been injured. But enough about the past already, let’s begin to look forward. Let’s look at the 2009 major schedule:

Masters – Augusta
U.S. Open – Bethpage Black
British Open – Turnberry
PGA – Hazeltine

Out of these, I’m going to give Tiger wins at the U.S. Open and the PGA. Last time the Open was played at Bethpage, Tiger won. Last time the PGA was at Hazeltine, Tiger birdied the last four holes and it took a 40 foot putt by Rich Beem to avoid Tiger in a playoff. So, if this occurs, Tiger’s total will be at sixteen majors by the end of 2009.

As we move to 2010:

Masters – Augusta
U.S. Open – Pebble Beach
British Open – St. Andrews
PGA – Whistling Straights

I think this could be a legendary year in the history of golf, as long as Tiger is fully healthy, which he supposedly will be by then. The first three majors are at Augusta, Pebble Beach, and St. Andrews. As we all know, Tiger has already won four times at Augusta.The last time the U.S. Open was at Pebble Beach, Tiger won by fifteen strokes. Tiger has already won the British twice at St. Andrews. The PGA will be held at Whistling Straights. Could 2010 be the year Tiger wins the grand slam?

Basically, to break the record, Tiger needs to win five out of the next eight majors. He has a great history at several of the courses these tournaments will be played on, and you know he is ready to come back with a vengeance after the injury. It should be interesting and I can’t wait to see what unfolds. The record is going down sooner or later, and 2010 just might be the year.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Golf in the Off-Season


  • Improve your strength, endurance, and flexibility. Talk to your local personal trainer.
  • Work on your swing in slow motion in front of a mirror making sure your club is in the proper positions.
  • While in your living room, work on fundamentals such as grip, posture, ball position, and alignment.
  • Work on your putting indoors and focus on the fundamentals such as keeping your head and body still, keeping your eyes over the ball, using a pendulum motion, making sure your back stroke and forward stroke are equidistant, making solid contact, and releasing the putter.
  • Work on your pre-shot and pre-putt routine in your living room.
  • Take winter lessons.
  • Brave the cold and play.
  • Find an indoor range and try to hit balls a few times per week.
  • Find a range with heaters or covered tees and hit a few times per week.
  • Purchase a hitting net for your garage or basement.
  • Take a lesson with video analysis.
  • Get your swing speed checked to make sure you are using the proper shafts.
  • Have a club fitting done to make sure you have the right dimensions on your clubs.
  • Make sure you are stocked up with all the equipment you need for the upcoming season.
  • Read golf instructional books or magazines.
  • Watch the golf channel and the pro tournaments to pick up tips.
  • Set specific goals for the upcoming season.