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By shoe295, on February 8th, 2010
 I wonder if he's thinking "dang, that'll hold a lotta beer?". With guys from Wisconsin you just never know what kind of synaptic connections are made at any given time. Spending a lot of time in a tree stand while hunting deer will give you ideas about things other folks never consider. Like how cool it would be to cut open a trailer, put in a big heater, and hit golf balls from it out into a snow covered range. I guess when your a professional golfer who's lost playing privileges and tumbled to number 337 in the world that idea might also make sense. Personally, I think it's a cultural thing. Remember that this is a state where deep fried cheese is a delicacy, and beer drinking a profession. I digress. Congratulations to Steve Stricker for winning the Northern Trust Open by two stokes over Luke Donald and three over J.B. Holmes and Dustin Johnson. It wasn't as easy as it could have been, after all the lead at the start of the final round was six shots, but it was satisfying.
“The position I was in, it was a good one,”Mr. Stricker, 43, said. “But if I don’t win the tournament, you’re going to be looked upon as the guy that didn’t finish it off. Those thoughts run through your head, and the guys from behind, they have nothing to lose. And I knew that, too, they’d be firing at the flags. The round seemed to last forever,” Mr. Stricker added. “It was just very difficult.”
After winning for the fourth time in fifteen months Mr. Stricker was asked if his comeback is complete? “Good question,I don’t know. One of my goals trying to come back was to obviously get my game in order and to win again, and I’ve done that. I hate to say the word ‘complete’ because I feel like I still have things to do. I came back from one part of my career that wasn’t so good to where I’m at now. But I still want to continue. I don’t want to quit what I’m doing, and I still work very hard at it.” Hence the trailer in the snow and the No. 2 world ranking. I can't imagine he considers his resume complete, especially without a major championship to his credit. Especially after contending in the 1998 PGA Championship won by Vijay Singh, a fellow who won a lot of tournaments after the age of 40, being in contention for a while at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, the 2007 US Open at Oakmont, and the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah. How much would he like to win this years PGA Championship at Whistling Straits? My guess would be a whole lot, given that it's a home game and that Milwaukee lost it's tour stop for this year due to sponsorship issues.
Sorry, I got ahead of myself. This is just February.
How good was J.B. Holmes on the 17 hole Sunday? Blasted a drive some 60 yards past Mr. Stricker and even further past Mr. Donald, hit a hybrid about 250 yards which landed about four feet past the hole and checked up to five feet. Tap the putt off the toe of the putter, downhill and into the hole for an eagle. Pretty easy game. That was fun to watch.
How much money did Kevin Stadler toss away by three putting from 8 feet on the final hole. Only $78,000. Only. I wonder where his brain wandered off to while he was missing those putts? What to have for dinner? Where did I park the car? Where did I put that phone number? Expensive brain cramp.
By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com, on February 7th, 2010
 On a single Sunday three golfers in various parts of the globe made up for past failures.
There is no better story-line in golf then the grand comeback and the theme was alive today on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Nationwide Tour.
Nowhere was that more apparent than in Pacific Palisades, California where the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open played out. Steve Stricker (67-65-66-70-268) was reduced to tears as he left the 18th green after securing the victory that had been in his grasp in 2009, but slipped away to the arms of defender Phil Mickelson. Stricker had shot 67 in the final round of 2009 but his two stroke lead on the 71st hole eventually became a one stroke victory for Mickelson after Stricker made a bogey on the final green.
That loss was on Stricker's mind as he tackled this year's final stanza at Riviera with a large but sometimes tenuous lead. "I thought about it at times today," he admitted after the victory. "I think not winning it last year helped me last year, and even this year, I guess, looking back at it I learned from those mistakes I made coming down the stretch last year. You know, you put them in your memory bank, I guess, and you look back at them and make sure that try and not do the same things."
For stretches during the day Stricker, the new World #2 ranked player, struggled with his swing but he fought through it. Birdies on holes 8,9, and 11 helped him to re-establish a lead that had dwindled with early charges by competitors. Luke Donald (68-70-66-66-270) threw six birdies at Stricker but in the end fell two strokes short to earn second place. Bombers Dustin Johnson and J.B. Holmes shared third place at 271.
Despite he ascension to new heights in the World Rankings Stricker says he will not change his approach to his game. He tried that before…"we all know who the best player in the world is, and I'll just continue to do what I do, and that's practice hard and work at it and try to improve. I'm not saying that I'm going to just not try to work at it anymore, but just continue to do the things that I do when I'm trying to — and that's to try to get better. That's all I can ask."
The win today was Stricker's 8th on TOUR and vaulted him to #1 in the 2010 FedEX Cup Points List. The Wisconsin native and University of Illinois product also cashed a check for $1,152,000. He will not be in the field for the upcoming AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Nationwide Tour
Earlier this morning Jim Herman had a massive triumph of his own as he won the Nationwide Tour's Moonah Classic in Australia. Heading into the event Herman had missed seven straight cuts dating back to last season and was an unlikely candidate for a win. He shocked the field by opening with a 62 and hung around the top of the leaderboard all week. Ultimately he required a playoff to beat out fellow American Chris Kirk to earn his first Nationwide Tour victory.
European Tour
Forty-six year old Miguel Angel Jimenez also needed a playoff of his own Sunday to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Jimenez had finished second twice before in the tournament and was clearly relieved to finally get the win, the 16th of his European Tour career. "You know, many years coming here, and a few times with chances to win, and then, we have it here. I'm feel very pleased, very happy," said the champion. Half of his European Tour victories have come after the age of 40.
Jimenez needed just a par on the third hole of a playoff with Lee Westwood to prevail. Both players had finished regulation play at eleven under par.
Alvaro Quiros looked to have the tournament in hand when he simply required a two-putt on the 13th hole to move to twelve under par. Shockingly he made a par after a three-putt. He required six more putts on the next two holes to fall out of contention.
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This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
By Martin Anderson, on February 7th, 2010
 Titleist have announced that they are bringing out new versions of both their NXT and DT Solo range of balls. Hugely popular with golfers looking to play a ball that combines performance at a more affordable price than premium balls, both series are some of the most widely played balls available. For the vast majority of golfers, the ball is the single thing that can make the greatest difference to their play and choosing the right ball can make the difference between finding the fairway and sticking that green versus being in the long stuff and chipping for par.
So what do Titleist have to say about the new range: "The New NXT Tour and New NXT deliver even higher performance and longer distance, further establishing each model as benchmarks in their respective categories," said George Sine, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing and Strategic Planning, Acushnet Company. "Based upon comprehensive machine testing, as well as positive feedback captured during player testing with current NXT family loyalists and competitive golf ball users, we have delivered two exciting new ways for golfers to lower their scores."
Click to Read More >>> Titleist announce new balls: NXT, NXT Tour and DT SoLo
By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com, on February 5th, 2010
 When I first laid eyes on Nike Golf research and development facility, "The Oven", in Ft. Worth Texas in early 2007 I could only call myself a bit of a skeptic. As a one-time retail golf store owner I had been witness to Nike's early attempts to enter the golf industry in the late 1980's and early 90's. It amounted to very little in terms of product and product quality. Our customers were eager to involve the familiar swoosh logo in their golf games but the golf shoes did not meet the expectations people had for gear from the corporate giant.
That experience resonated with me for quite some time, so even when Nike golf took on the game with a whole new focus after the signing of Tiger Woods in 1996, I felt they had a lot to prove. In golf the true testament to the quality of products is in their performance, and no level of marketing can ever change that. Fortunately, Nike Golf realized that very early on in their development and made the acquisition of a company called Impact Golf. The evolution of that procurement is what I found when I returned to The Oven just last week. That visit, along with my previous foray, helped me to vanquish those early Nike Golf equipment experiences and give me whole new level of respect for their golf business.
The fact alone that Nike, an Oregon-based company, has their golf brain-trust primarily centered in North Texas says a lot about the people they have working for them and Nike's appreciation for their experience.
To get into the golf club business Nike acquired Impact Golf Technologies. The core staff of Impact Golf, a free-agent business who came up with more than 120 club designs for a number of companies, had strong ties with the Ben Hogan Company. They, of course, were known for their craftsmanship and high standards as was the vision of Mr. Hogan himself.
Nike respected that pedigree and when the acquisition of Impact was completed they had no trouble giving in to the demand that the Impact employees wanted to stay close to their roots in Ft. Worth. Thus, a nondescript facility next to a public driving range was created just off Interstate 30. And with it the true story of Nike Golf's equipment business began.
"The Oven" as it is known, has become the basis for Nike Golf's rise into the upper echelon of the golf industry. From there Director of Product Creation Tom Stites and his very able team have brought to life a myriad of product designs that have not only captured the public imagination, but more than a few major championship trophies along the way. 2009 alone saw Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink use their Nike equipment to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship, respectively.
 Coincidentally, just three months prior to Glover's victory Nike Golf had made the biggest capital investment in their history with the expansion of The Oven. To the original 23,000 ft.² building, driving range, and test facility, they added more than 26,000 ft.² of working space and a 3 1/2 acre short game area.
"We added a lot of additional space to help us function here," The Oven's host, Matt Plumb, told me while we stood in the test center adjacent to the range. "We added a lot of additional lab space, a lot of new space in the back of the grind shop and in other areas. It's not only for the tour specific product but for developing the master moulds for products we are bringing to retail."
The short game area is the most visible change at The Oven. In your immediate eye-line as you enter their parking lot, it is not only a place for fun but where genuine work can be done with the Nike golf athletes. Encompassing three synthetic greens, a natural grass green, three bunkers with varying style and sand content, and a large variety of tees, there are some 318 hole combinations.
"Each of the greens have somewhere between 9 and 13 holes of them so there are infinite shots you can play," states Plumb. The three -hole complex allows their visiting pro and collegiate athletes to test clubs in a real environment where they can hit shots of up to 135 yards. "We can take a player out there and work on their wedge grind, loft combinations in terms of dialling in their distances, or specifically (the) golf ball as we start to dial that in. We have spent a lot time fitting golf balls there lately as a result of the new groove changes."
Plumb says most of their staff athletes have been through the facility since the changes took place and they have enjoyed the updates. "Anything that can help our athletes to perform better they really appreciate." He adds, "And for them to be able to come here and work with the guys like David Franklin (putters) and Mike Taylor (grinding – wedges, irons) – people who are passionate about golf equipment and how it performs, is just a special situation."
Plumb makes a great point in that they have 22 engineers at Nike Golf's facility but they also have people with hundreds of years of experience in "crafting" golf equipment – making sure that not only will the clubs work like they are supposed to, but that they also aesthetically pleasing.
Master putter maker David Franklin, the man behind the new Nike "Method" putters, might have put in best when he talked to me about the place where he creates his short game visions. "The Oven is not a factory that produces golf clubs; it's a place where people who are passionate about golf are trying to create something better every day. We take pride in everything we do. We want to make products that help the golfer but also inspire them to play. It's a fun place to work and we feed off each other. I think it shows in how far we have come."
Franklin should know – he was part of the original five-man core of people that came to Nike via Impact.
And what effect does The Oven have on the professional and collegiate athletes who get to visit? Staffer Paul Casey has been known to hang out in Mike Taylor's grind shop for hours, just to watch him work. And Tiger Woods, who has meticulous standards for his equipment, puts his faith in product created by this small group of craftspeople.
"When athletes visit here they can't be anything but impressed," says Nike's College Amateur Golf Manager Marlin "Cricket" Musch as he put me through the paces on the Nike range. "It changes the way they look at Nike Golf and how we make golf equipment when they see the abilities of the people who work here and what they are capable of creating."
 To that list of athletes you can add at least one golf journalist. The sincerity in which Nike Golf is tackling the golf business has shown through in my two visits to The Oven. They've come a long way from leaky golf shoes and I have to give them full respect for that.
Having the resources to develop product is one thing but outside of the tools and technology, it is clear that Nike Golf's real focus is on the people who make their golf equipment, and in the end, the people who use it.
The impact of "The Oven" is not lost on anyone familiar with it. Just ask anyone who's made a visit, be it a professional or amateur. The average golfer will likely never get that chance but even when they buy that Nike Golf club off the rack, a little bit of the place, and the people within it, become their golfing allies.
To see a slideshow with more images and an audio interview about The Oven visit here.
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This editorial provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com, on February 3rd, 2010
 Among the stormy clouds of a missing Tiger and a groove debate that just won’t seem to go away the stars are about to shine for the PGA Tour in Pacific Palisades, California.
In the field highlighted by two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson, world number #3 Steve Stricker, and a bevy of other past champions and major winners, the 2010 Northern Trust Open promises to be a compelling tournament to watch.
As you can see in the pre-tournament photos on GolfWRX.com, the venerable Riviera Country Club sets up as a beautiful backdrop for PGA Tour action. The 7325-yard, par 71 layout is a favorite among the players.
144 players will take to the golf course on Thursday, all seeking the $1,152,000 winner’s share of the $6.4 million dollar purse. It is the richest purse so far in 2010 and the title is also a valued one. Outside of the major championships it is the fourth-oldest event on the PGA Tour, lagging behind only the BMW Championship, the RBC Canadian Open, and the Valero Texas Open. This will be the 84th playing of the Northern Trust Open.
In 2009 Phil Mickelson successfully defended his 2008 title with a one-stroke victory over Steve Stricker. Mickelson had entered the final day with a four stroke lead, struggled through the middle of the round but rallied to make two birdies in the final three holes. That made him the seventh player to defend a title in this event. Prior to that, the last player to do it was Mike Weir in 2003-2004. Weir will also be playing this week.
A shaky final round last week at the Farmer’s Insurance Open brings doubt as to whether Mickelson has a chance at a three-peat this week. Don’t tell lefty that though, after completing play in San Diego he said his game was feeling “not as rusty as it looks” and pointed to his past success in L.A. as a source of excitement.
Other players to keep an eye on include Anthony Kim, Padraig Harrington, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Charles Howell III, Rory Sabbatini, and last week’s winner Ben Crane. And don’t rule out the possibility of great play by a couple of seniors, Michael Allen and Fred couples, who are in fine form as of late.
Golf Channel will be picking up TV coverage starting at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday. CBS will do the weekend duties and Sirius XM satellite radio will provide extensive coverage each day.
Notes:
Kodak Challenge @ the Northern Trust Open
The Kodak Challenge hole at the Northern Trust Open is the Par 4 315-yard #10. In 2009, Kodak Challenge hole #10 at the Northern Trust Open yielded 2 eagles, 116 birdies and 250 pars.
Field – 18 major championship winners with 28 major titles (including three of four from last year). 83 players with 388 PGA TOUR wins. 20 players who won in 2009 or 2010. Players from 14 different countries.
By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com, on February 1st, 2010
 Methodical he may be, but in the big scheme of things it is hard to identify much fault in Ben Crane, whether you're talking about his character or his ability to play golf. The 33-year-old Oregon native and all-around nice guy was completely focused Sunday as he won the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
Just how occupied was he with the task at hand? So much so that when he rolled in the final 3-foot putt to finish at 13 under par and win, he had no idea that the trophy was his for the taking. He had begun play on Sunday two shots back of the lead and did not seem to realize that his final-round score of 70 had been enough to earn him his third PGA Tour victory – his first in five years.
Ryuji Imada, the leader to start the day, faltered early in the final round and Crane quickly gained ground with the skill he is best known for, putting. The pursuer got off to a fast start on Sunday with a short birdie on the second hole followed by a 46 foot birdie bomb on the third. His 3rd birdie of the day, a 22 foot putt on the fifth hole, propelled him to a two-stroke lead that he would hold for the balance of the front nine.
The field came nipping on Crane's heels early in the back nine but yet another lengthy birdie, this time one from 48 feet on the 11th hole, put his lead margin back to two strokes. That would drop to one after the 17th hole when he stumbled in missing a 3-foot par putt, creating a compelling situation on the final hole of the Torrey Pines South course.
There, on the dramatic par five closer, Crane drove the ball into the rough – effectively eliminating any chance of reaching the green in two to set up an easy birdie. At the same time Australian Michael Sim drove to the short grass and just 245 yards to the hole, creating a great scoring opportunity. Too much surprise he chose not to go for the green in two, ultimately leaving him with just a par and sharing second place with Marc Leishman and Brandt Snedeker. "…for me that is really stretching a three wood so I decided to lay up to a nice yardage," said Sim when questioned why he did not go for the green on the 18th. "It would have been nice to have a putt at it for birdie to get to 13, but it wasn't the case."
Phil Mickelson, who will defend this week at the Northern Trust Open and was mired in a debate over his use of a non-confirming yet legal Ping wedge, got off to a terrible start at Torrey Pines and could not recover from a flurry of early round bogeys. "What we were talking about, my rhythm and timing were off," Mickelson explained about his erratic final round play that dropped him to 19th place. "I wasn't able to accelerate through the ball very well and hanging back a little bit. At least I know what it is that I need to work on and I have a couple days to do it"
Although Crane rejoiced at the thought of winning $954,000 and earning an invite to the 2010 Masters it seemed that the success had a higher meaning – that it was validation for all the effort he had put into developing a plan for success on the PGA Tour over the last few months. "…it's certainly really cool to know that I'm going the right direction," he stated with a genuine smile in the press room. "But in the past when I've played well, I think I've rested on it, and I think I have a better plan in place this year. It's a nice by-product. But really the goal was to sit down with my team this November and talk about the plan that we put in place and reevaluate.
Crane referred to himself as sticking to "The Process" when interviewed immediately following the win and he explained more about it when prompted.
"Yeah, I sat down with my team. I have eight guys that kind of help me, a few therapists and then a mental coach, a guy named Lanny Bassham, Greg Rose my fitness guy, caddie. Anyway, we all sat down in a room and my manager, and we all just said, all right, what are the things we need to improve on, and what are the things we think we're doing well. We pulled up every stat for the last nine years. It was kind of fun, and my manager ran this whole meeting, and basically what we came up with was a few things that I need to do.
One of the things is I need to play ready golf. I've been too slow in the past, and it's bothered me. So I'm just — that's one of the things I'm working on is being ready when it's my turn to play. Anyway, so we just came up with a few things that I need to do in order to improve. And so we determined when we left that meeting, we all knew what I was doing so that when I finish a round, we talk differently about the round. We don't talk directly about results, we talk about the process I went through before, during and after every shot and how that went. And to judge myself based on that as opposed to just the outcome. "
Crane will have another chance to test "The Process" this week when he plays in the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
After more than few bungles by Crane's chasers this week, something tells me a few of his fellow competitors might be spending their preparation time this week investigating a "Process" of their own.
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This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
By shoe295, on February 1st, 2010
 No, he didn't win a baby for finishing atop a leaderboard for the first time in five years, but he did learn to play a little quicker. Ben Crane, for those who don't remember, is the guy who ticked Rory Sabbatini off during the Milwaukee tournament in 2005 with his glacial rate of play. Mrs. Sabbatini even wore a charming black tee shirt with the words "Keep Up" stenciled in bold white letters. Accurate commentary despite the tackiness. At the time I felt like I needed to shave after every hole Mr. Crane played. Not so anymore. While still deliberate, unlike Rickie Fowler who takes about twelve seconds to pull a club, hit a shot, and return club to the bag, Mr. Crane hit one less shot than all his competitors.
For anyone who watched the final hole, those new grooves sure made a big difference in the result. Mr. Crane had 82 yards to the hole while Michael Sim had 88 yards left after a cautious layup. Without the new, smaller grooves Mr. Sim would have spun his shot back into the pond fronting the green (maybe), instead his shot would up spinning back into the grass at the top of the bank. Mr. Crane's wedge spun back past the hole but was lodged up against the collar of the green. I'll grant that both shots were from the fairway so the groove change has minimal effect, but if it hadn't been for the cheater charges against Phil Mickelson earlier in the week I wouldn't have paid much attention.
If you missed it, Mr. Mickelson used a pre 1990 set of Ping Eye-2 wedges (as did six other pros) which are entirely legal according to the new rules and was accused of cheating by Scott McCarron. If the tour leaves a loophole a rule complete with flashing lights and multiple direction arrows, how can anyone choosing to drive through be accused of cheating? Those complaints are misdirected when aimed at Mr. Mickelson, he's playing by the rule book as written. So quit asking him stupid questions about his wedges and start lobbing those complaints at the bozos who wrote the rule. I'm not a big fan of Mr. Mickelson at all, but this is way out of line. To attack one of the game's true stars (and the biggest one still playing today for cripes sake) accuse him of cheating is as classless as Mrs Sabbatini's shirt. The PGA Tour and Mr. McCarron needs to apologize publicly to Mr. Mickelson quickly and loudly so as to end this non issue. While they're at it, someone needs to slap Mr. McCarron upside the head for stupidity, I'm a firm believer in stupid should hurt and this bone head qualifies for a series of head slaps.
OK deep breath and I'll step off my soap box now. Mr. Crane began two shots back of leader Ryuji Imada but got those back in the first three holes. By the end of the 11th hole the lead was three shots, thanks to two 45 foot bombs and a 20 footer that found the center of the hole. After that point it got a lot dicier, as putts from 6, 4 and inside 3 feet on the final through the 17th hole. That set up the drama on the 18th where Mr. Crane's par was good enough to win.
On a final note, Mr. Fowler the 21 year old phenom must have been feeling sentimental when he selected his wardrobe for the final round, Blindingly bright orange pants, and a white Puma hat with bright orange highlights left me thinking he was back at Oklahoma State. I found it amusing that the TV cameras had a difficult time toning down those shout out loud pants. Even had he hit the ball into some of more interesting hazards getting lost was never going to be an issue. Doug Sanders would have been envious.
Why does Brandt Snedecker fear barbers?
By Martin Anderson, on January 27th, 2010
 It's always nice to be among the first to show you the new stuff and just before the PGA Merchanise Show, here are the Official Pics from Mizuno – andhere's what their press release says:
Surfacing first on Japanese websites back in July 09 the introduction of the new HOT METAL MP-630 Driver, fairway and hybrid has been a tantalizing affair. Now with prototypes tweaked and a second version of the driver added to the line, the finished MP Series will be unveiled at the Orlando PGA Golf show in January
Click to Read More >>> Official Mizuno MP-630 Drivers, Fairway and Hybrid Pictures
By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com, on January 27th, 2010
Each and every year the pulse of the golf industry can be measured in one week and it has arrived. As more than a 1,000 exhibitors prepare to display their wares in Orlando’s voluminous Orange County Convention Center, thousands of people who work in the business around the world wait to see how the week plays out.
I view this 57th PGA Show as the calm after the storm. Last year the golf industry was in full panic mode as the world’s economy began to erode at a frightening pace. There was much concern about what the future of golf would be.
What most found out was that the game was not disappearing, but simply transforming to a new reality. Golf is still here and there is still a new market for fresh golf gear, clothing, and so much more.
Some 40,000 attendees including 1,000+ media members are expected to be at the PGA Show. It kicks off with a massive Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Club on January 27th and then runs through January 30th at the Convention Center.
As I prepare to cruise the show myself along with other media colleagues I look forward to keying in on a number of companies, products and storylines.
By Apryl DeLancey, on January 26th, 2010
Old on to your keyboards golf fans – it’s time for the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show! The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando will be the forum for this event from January 28 – 30, 2010. To many of us the pictures taken by the GolfWRX crew is like looking at, ahem, questionable material. This year will be no exception – the WRX Crew will be snapping away and uploading for your viewing enjoyment.
This year promises to be as interesting and exciting as any. Exhibitors include a variety of companies such as Bridgestone, Cleveland/Srixon, Nancy Lopez Golf, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Cobra, Fourteen Golf, aboutGolf, PING, Puma, Oban Shafts and many more. Many, many, many more! Here’s a sampling of some press release pieces of what we know will be there:
Click to Read More >>> 2010 PGA Merchandise Show Preview
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