Despite regularly being the most common wood shaft at US Tour events, Aldila shafts just don’t seem to have the mystique associated with shafts from competitors like Matrix or Mitsubishi. The NV, DVS and VS Proto shafts are amongst the most played shafts at todays events but somehow they seem to be ‘blue collar’ shafts rather than the high performance Tour pedigree shafts that they really are. Aldila are looking to change this perception with their upcoming VooDoo shaft.

While not being available to the public until the end of July, the Voodoo has been available on Tour since earlier this year. In this short time, it has already found its way into the winner’s circle twice: in March at the World Golf Championships-CA and last month at the Verizon Heritage. A striking achievement for such a new product and one that has certainly raised a fair amount of interest.

In-hand image of a prototype version

The VooDoo differs from the previous generation of Aldila shafts by incorporating a new technology, S-Core. S-Core is Aldila’s patented cross-sectional stability technology, similar in concept to Grafalloys Smart-Ply and Fujikura’s Triax.

Increasing cross sectional stability is seen as a way of increasing energy transfer at impact. The result of this increased energy is greater distance and improved shot dispersion. Shafts with poor cross sectional stability undergo ovalling which causes energy loss and an inconsistent point of impact with loss of accuracy.

S-Core consists of a spiral rib system that runs down the inner core of the shaft, as seen in the graphics below.

Rather than being a discrete supporting rings, the rib is very much a single spiral. This rib stiffens the shaft by 80% more than a conventional graphite shaft and as much as 60% in comparison to competitor shafts.

Bag Chatter got the chance to do some preliminary (if slightly limited) testing at the London Golf Show and initial impressions are that this shaft really delivers what it promises; great performance allied to a fantastic feel. Expect to see this shaft in the winner’s circle a lot more in the not too distant future.

This Public Links Championship was heavily watched; Michelle Wie made it to the final four here before Clay Ogden beat her in a hotly contested match play match. Unfortunately for Michelle Wie, Clay went on to win the championship. Even before Michelle Wie arrived at Shaker Run, this golf course was kown as one of Ohio’s best public golf courses.

In its infancy (1979), Shaker Run was a private club and owned by the ARMCO Steel Company. Eventually ARMCO became AK steel, sold some assets off, the private golf club being one of them (1994). Great for us. Shaker Run actually boasts 27 holes now as there is a third nine designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry in 1997.

If it is your first time here, skip the Meadows nine and play the original 18 holes, which was designed by Arthur Hills. Don’t get me wrong, the Meadows nine is playable but is devoid of any real character. Homes abound on the Meadows nine.  Hills’ creation is the Lakeside and Woodlands nines and is tranquil and serene. Pure golf, and no houses.  As you stand on the first tee, well really the tenth, (but for some reason they were switched around the day that we played here) you instantly think wide open links course. Not really, and well, not at all. This hole is a teaser. The eleventh hole tightens up considerably and you wonder how many trees your ball will seek out during the round. The fairways, save a few, are relatively wide, but errant shots too far offline will be punished here. Not severely, but punishment just the same. I thing that I liked the most about Shaker Run is that there are some great opportunites for birdies and quite a few risk reward shots. Numbers 9, 12, 14, 15, 18 leave you with a ton of options off the tee and for your second shot. Course conditions were pretty good for late April in Ohio, the greens were receptive to a variety of shots. About the only thing that was really disappointing was they don’t allow walking for some odd reason. Even if you paid the cart fee (which is included int he price) walking was not allowed. This course is walkable, there is a stretch of a few holes that runs along a ridge and ravine, but the course is very walkable and would be enjoyable for the walking golfer. Sorry Shaker, you lose some purist points here and that’s too bad. The 9th and 18th holes both play over water and beg you to bite off as much fairway as possible, but don’t be too greedy on these holes, the lake is full of golf balls here. Lets take a look at a few holes at Shaker Run.

Lakeside nine, #2, a short par three over the corner of the lake.

Woodlands #1, looks wide open, but this nine tightens up rather quickly.

One of the best holes on the course, Woodlands #3, with a good drive, you’ll be

just a short sand wedge away on this risk reward par 4. Great hole.

Woodlands #5 is a tough par 3, 190 from the blue tees, 203 from the black.

Not much room for error here. Walk off with a par and its like a birdie here.

You might be able to cut the corner with a lofted fairway wood or the brave

can hit driver with a fade. If so, it’s just a lob wedge into this green. If not

your score will suffer a lot.

Woodlands #8 opens back up, par 3 150 yards from the blue. Wind will

affect your ball on this short par three hole.

Shaker Run is a must play if in the Cincinnati area. It could, quite possibly

be the best golf course in the Southwestern Ohio area, public or private.

Shaker Run by the numbers:

Lakeside/Woodlands

Tees           Yardage       Rating/Slope

Black           6953              74.0/138

Blue             6415              71.2/132

White           5794              68.7/127

Red             5075               68.8/121

Garcia had an early tee time and was able to capitalize on a combination of receptive greens, more accessible pin positions, and no wind. Sergio has done very well at The Players Championship; having shot 17 under par through his last three rounds going back to last year. This is definitely one of my favorite courses, so it’s always nice to go back to a place where you’ve done well and you feel comfortable," said Garcia. "You know, I’m just looking forward to keep doing the same things, keep hitting the ball well, keep chipping well and keep putting well and then hopefully by the end of the week, we’ll be where we are supposed to be."

Thursday was a return to previous forms of sorts as who else is in second but Kenny Perry. Perry as you remember went on the best streak of his career between 2003 and 2005. With five birdies and one bogey, everything was clicking for Perry. "I’m just now starting to come back and get sharp again. I think I hit 16 greens today and I think I only missed one fairway and that was on the last hole, I can’t remember — oh, and 11. So I missed two fairways. All in all, I had, you know, great opportunity to be aggressive out there and get after those flags a little bit."

Everyone wants to know, how did everyone do at the 17th? As one of the most famous holes in golf, the island green at 17 is not that difficult a shot.  Somewhere between a wedge and a nine, but enough pressure and expectation to make it trouble. Out of the first thirty groups to play, just seven balls found the drink. As the day grew later, the wind grew stronger. The final eighteen groups plopped thirteen balls in the pond.

Phil Mickelson, defending champion, gives great insight into what goes through a player’s mind while on the tee. "Well, the wind was changing a little bit there, and when I first got there it was into the wind. When I was getting ready to hit, it started to just be crosswind, and then I started getting some help. So I was thinking I was going to have to step on a 9-iron. And then I ended up taking a little bit off of a wedge.
I got lucky it ended up close. That close, I’m not trying to do anything more than trying to make a 3, and it ended up four feet. That was just kind of a — I don’t want to say fluke, but it went six, seven yards farther than I was trying to hit it."

There is certain to be drama as each group plays the back nine and especially the 17th. Sergio Garcia is hoping to be the second player in as many years to win the tourney wire to wire, and be the first Euro to win since Sandy Lyle in 1987. It may just be the swirling winds of 17 to decide the fate of the champ.

Together, Pete and Alice Dye have created the most iconic hole on the PGA Tour. The Stadium Course at Sawgrass, commended by many as one of the best examples of a risk-reward golf course is as strong a statement in strategic design as it is a test of players’ mental will. Yet the 146 yard, born by accident, par three has received its share of criticisms, especially from architects. 

It is the burden of a course that hosts the flagship event of the PGA to stand the test of time, to challenge players year in, and year out, and to exemplify the best our game has to offer - including course design. Quality course design can be considered a practiced discipline of applying strategic philosophy to constraining realities all with the intention to make the game more enjoyable to its participants. 

So then why is it when tournament time comes we as fans relish the dream of playing the possibly punishing tee shot on 17, instead of the more tactical conforming 16 or 18? The answer may be glaringly obvious but No. 17 is simply more fun. For those who argue that the most photogenic golf hole ever created is not fair, I question how we have come to a point where a design school of thought precedes the sheer thrill of the game.    

Perhaps the idea that holes should be built to a higher level of playability is a gross misconception. Golf holes should be designed for higher enjoyability, which may not always equivocate to strategy. Isn’t that what the game is about, fun?  

Our North American culture has proven that we would rather win the big payout than take the safe bet. And thus we would rather the opportunity to hit that perfect tee shot at No.17 than be faced with the option of playing safe. Dye should be commended as this hole has done something amazing - eliminated the paradox of choice and presented the ultimate reward. The risk is obligatory. While mesmerizing us in its beauty, he has so bluntly said ‘here you go, hit your best shot’. If that is not a test of a player’s ability and mental psyche I don’t know what is.

Tuesday of this week it was announced that the architect who has challenged, us, the Tour, and the profession to which he belongs to raise the level of the game. Pete Dye will be the first ever architect inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. It’s no coincidence that ‘The Man Golfers Love to Hate’ has created a hole that golfers hate to love.

Technology

What’s New? For Titleist, just about everything. This reminds me of the ad that appeared in the Washington Post in the 1960’s, I think. The ad stated: “President Abraham Lincoln’s axe up for sale. Handle was replaced 40 years ago. Head was replaced 32 years ago. Best offer!”

So are these all-new irons truly Titleists? In my opinion, the AP1 irons represent what a traditional clubmaker can do when it takes advantage of technology to help the largest possible number of golfers enjoy the game even more. This certainly is a big change for Titleist, but the market has changed, as well.

These are dual-cavity irons, which means the weight is squeezed out to the perimeters. The body of the head is cast #431 steel with an aluminum cavity plate. New for Titleist is a soft elastomer cushion and central cross-member, which translates into a nice, solid feel with muted vibration. Combine all that with a high-density tungsten nickel box and a low center of gravity, and you get a state-of-the-art cast club with excellent feel and control that flies the ball high.

Titleist says that these irons are for “the skilled and aspiring player.” This is a little puzzling, in that the remaining three-quarters of their line is composed of forged clubs for skilled players. After playing the AP1 irons, I think that many truly skilled players will opt instead for one of the more exacting forged offerings from the Titleist, namely the AP2, ZB (Blend), or ZM (Muscle).

AP stands for Advanced Performance. Between the marketing line I quoted above and the name of these irons, I think Titleist is trying to take one giant step away from the game-improvement market, while retaining a better-club appeal for the masses.

Many committed mid-handicappers are asking this question: Should I go with forgiving irons like the AP1s while I’m trying to improve, or should I go for irons that are more challenging? I can only speak for myself, of course. For me, my swing is my biggest challenge, and adding harder-to-strike clubs to the mixture gives me too many things to analyze. I need to keep it simple, one thing at a time. Let me get a better swing, then I’ll work on my feel and shot-making. I guess it can be as complicated or as a simple as a golfer wishes to make it.

Appearance

I liked the colorful look of the AP1 irons in the bag. With the bold lines and slashes of red and black they look cheerful, confident, comfortable, and welcoming, like an old diner with shiny new siding.

Setting a 6-iron down in address position, the first thing I noticed was the thicker-than-I’m-used-to top line. Everybody is talking about thick top lines in the same vein they’d talk about the short bus. Stigma aside, I’ve always had trouble with fat top edges, going way back to my set of Ping Eye-2s that I had for exactly six weeks. To me, when I see a fat top the club is telling me that it also has a fat bottom and is unable to swiftly snick a ball from the turf. For me, it is not a look that inspires confidence. What helps the AP1 irons is that the club head is a normal size and not gigantic. Besides, I’ll tell you this: the more I played these clubs, the thinner the top line seemed.

Lining up the clubface posed no problems at all. Some won’t like the shiny chrome on the toe face. The offset is minimal and that suited my eye. The feel and weight of the club is satisfying, although they feel a bit heavier than my TaylorMade RAC LT2’s, which is fine with me. Also, the sole of the AP1s have virtually no camber from toe to heel, so the club sits relatively flat. My LT2’s have a bit more camber, although the club heads are nearly identical in size. As usual, buyers, club-fitting is essential.

Performance

I took these irons to the range, as well as onto the golf course. The contact of AP1 meeting golf ball at nearly all times was good, solid, soft, and long. With the longer irons particularly, the ball jumped off the face and flew higher than I normally hit them. I enjoyed playing these clubs and was punished less when I hit one of my out-of-nowhere pull-slices.

The feedback I received from the clubface was less felt than it was heard. Normally, if you toe a shot, you feel it from your hands to your hair. The AP1s didn’t provide too much of that kind of sharp feedback, but the sound the ball made hitting the clubface was, as usual, a sound you don’t want to hear.

The lofts on the AP1 irons are strong, two degrees stronger than my LT2 irons from a couple of years ago. Still, the ball gets up in the air and stays there longer than I’m used to, even with the lower loft angles. Could it be the tungsten sole weights in the AP1s? Out of the rough, they’re no better or worse than any other club, but if you toe the ball you might still dig the ball out (and your hair won’t hurt).

I’m not totally sure why, but I had difficulty moving the ball with these irons. After some practice, I could perform baby draws or fades, but nothing drastic. I could, however, still pull, push, top, chunk, thin, and sky, so the rest of my game was just fine.

Conclusion

So, the AP1s are not game-improvement crutches for your game. They will not improve the game of high-handicappers as much as, say, a bag full of seven-woods might. And the AP1s are probably not for low-handicappers who love to slice and dice the ball with forged kitchen cutlery. In my opinion, the AP1s are for weekend mid-handicappers who want to improve but can’t practice enough to master forged or less-forgiving irons. They’d also be great for golfers who are returning to the game and can’t decide what to buy, or if you’re looking to finally get rid of your old rusty MacGregors.

I just love this description from Titleist’s website. I can hear a sexy female announcer saying these words as a dazzling fashion model flaunts these clubs down a long runway…“Titleist AP1 irons offer a contemporary, confidence inspiring appearance in the playing position with soft blends, modern proportions and semi-underslung hosel. The metallic cavity plate tunes sound and feel and provides attractive cosmetics for great bag appeal.”

Bag appeal. That’s what I’m talking about!

Specifications

MSRP $100 per club, steel shaft.

Design: Multi-material, tungsten nickel box, dual cavity irons
Center of gravity: Center, low, and deep
Construction: Cast #431 steel body, tungsten nickel box, elastomer cushion and aluminum cavity plate
Stock grips: Titleist Tour Velvet Rubber (round with logo underneath)
Stock shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold HL, Titleist VS Proto-T 75
Available Irons: 3, 4 - W (RH & LH)

More often than not many nine hole golf courses are goat paths and almost not worthy of anyone’s hard earned golfing dollar. Believe me, I have seen my fair share of these types of golf courses.

However, this is not to say that all nine hole golf courses are not worthy of our play, after all, golf is golf. One such nine hole course definitely worthy of mentioning is Wyoming Country Club located in Wyoming, Ohio (near Cincinnati. 

Wyoming Country Club is neatly tucked into an older, yet upscale and very well established bedroom community.  I was recently afforded the opportunity to play a round here and I jumped at the chance. This course is not long by today’s design standards, but I have always felt that length should never be a defining factor in golf course design.

This course dates all the way back to 1897, a year when golf was still in it’s relative infancy in the United States. Wyoming doesn’t quite make the list of the the first 100 courses in America, but it comes pretty darn close. 

The course was designed by Tom Bendelow, who also designed a very similar course in Cincinnati, The Ridge Club (formerly Losantiville Country Club). Bendelow utilzed the semi hilly terrain in similar ways and his handiwork is evident at both locations.  The greens slope from back to front and were very fast, even in early April. They must be killer fast in the dead of summer.  The sand bunkering was nothing short of phenomenal at Wyoming.

Without a doubt, Wyoming Country Club is probably the best nine hole golf course I have ever played. If you ever have the opportunity to play here, be sure to accept as it is not your everyday,  run of the mill nine hole course.

Not all nine hole courses here in the Queen City are as upscale as Wyoming. In fact, most don’t hold a candle to Wyoming Country Club. In direct contrast to Wyoming Country Club, Beechcreek Golf Course does not possess the pedigree, history, conditioning or even the upscale neighborhood. However, if you are looking for a cheap round of golf ($12 walking) head on over to Beechcreek Golf Course in Mount Healthy, Ohio.

This nine hole course is also no behemoth in length, but bot par fives are over 550 yards in length with one of them uphill. You’ll need all your clubs here. The course is tucked into the dead end of a very modest street of small, box framed homes and you would never know it was even there.

They made good use of the land with the routing. Some of the holes are tight and you’ll need to be able to hit a straight ball here most of the time. With today’s greens fees at such high levels, it was refreshing to find a decent nine hole course to walk. $12? You just can’t beat it.

Tour Edge Exotics is a branch of the Tour Edge golf equipment line. There is a clear divide between the two offerings of this company. They have the Tour Edge line which is geared toward the more financially conscious consumer and then the Exotics line which is specifically geared toward the high end market. Their attention to this market has not gone without notice. Some companies that involve themselves in two different ends of a spectrum lose sight of where they are going; it appears that Tour Edge Exotics knows where they are headed and how to get there.

Technology

If you are looking for a fairway wood that is teeming with loads of current technology, this is the one for you. The XCG claims to have the fastest ball speed of any of their previous fairway wood offerings. The XCG’s high COR of .83 allows for amazing ball speed which is accomplished by creating a thin, titanium cup face that employs variable thickness technology across the entire face of the fairway metal. According to Tour Edge, Combo-brazing the face and crown to the XCG’s heavier steel body displaces more weight to the sole for less spin, a higher launch and greater distance. This fairway wood also utilizes a 4-way cambered sole to allow play from a myriad of lies. All models set square, aside from the 13 degree model which sits one degree open.

Shafts

The shaft offerings from Tour Edge for the XCG fairway wood, according to their website, are limited to three options (at the time of publish I was not able to confirm if they have custom offerings). They include the stock offering Graphite design X-Quad, Aldila DVS fairway, and the UST V2 fairway. These shafts are offered in many weights and all flexes. My version has the Aldila DVS fairway wood shaft and I found the shaft very smooth, with great response and feel. I also found that it played true to flex and weight. From a consumer standpoint, I would have loved to see a larger selection of shafts to choose from, especially at the price point of this fairway wood.

Aesthetics

The tour XCG fairway wood did not disappoint in the looks department. If you enjoy a classic look, and one that frames the ball nicely, you will love this club. The classic, low profile look that has become common place in the higher end fairway wood market is present here with the Tour Edge Exotics XCG. This club is very subdued, using classic black paint, a small alignment aide, and exhibits a traditional metal wood appearance; all of which make it appealing to golfers of all levels, specifically ones that enjoy the appearance of traditional, classic fairway woods.

Performance

The performance that has become associated with the Tour Edge Exotics line is not misplaced with this latest version. The XCG is vying to take the position of the much coveted CB2. Has it surpassed it? It is really hard to beat a classic (let alone one from your own company), but this offering comes close. The XCG is much more forgiving than the previous option and, according to Tour Edge, guarantees the player 20 more yards from their current fairway wood. This is quite a bold statement from a company that is known to have one of the longest fairway woods available in their current CB2.

My version of the XCG is a 15 degree fairway wood with an Aldila DVS stiff flex, 75 gram shaft. I have to say that this is an extremely smooth combination; one that I was skeptical would produce the results that I heard about. Being a higher spin player I was slightly concerned with the ball flight that would be produced with the DVS. After hitting many shots and attempting to hit different shapes and heights, this shaft and club head failed to disappoint. The high launch and low spin was perfect for me and produced high, flat flying bombs that had some run out down range. It was an amazing range and course session.

I was able to hit many different shots and more importantly, I was able to hit many fairways, some with very impressive distance. This is a very solid, exceptional fairway wood, and despite the high price tag (MSRP $349.00) it is one of the better fairway woods that I have had the pleasure of owning.

Conclusion

Should you buy this fairway wood or not? That is completely your choice as a consumer. I am very impressed with this fairway wood and after forking over my own hard earned money for this club; it is even better that it is an impressive performer. This is the first club that I have had to pay for since resigning my PGA membership, and I am not regretful at all. It is as good as any of the top performing fairway woods that I have played in my career. Solid from the fairway and solid from the tee, plus adding in the fact that it looks great, plays from many lies, and the distance is impressive, what else would you want from a fairway wood?

There is one thing I would recommend, if you are going to buy one of these I would make sure that you select the correct shaft and loft combination. If you are spending the cash to get this club, do yourself a favor and get yourself fit for the right shaft and loft. That way you can reap the benefits of the performance and technology aspects this club offers. You might just be as happy with yours as I am with mine.

David Fay, executive director of the USGA and chairman of the World Golf Foundation, Tim Finchem PGA Tour commissioner, Carolyn Bivens LPGA commissioner, Joe Steranka PGA of America CEO, Jim Armstrong Augusta National GM, Peter Dawson R&A chief executive, and George O’Grady European Tour CEO have agreed that this is an essential ingredient in achieving that goal.  I can’t help but wonder why this particular group has come out from behind the walls of their individual Kingdoms to join a crusade to gain access to a Kingdom as corrupt as the that run by the International Olympic Committee.  Altruism is not something of which these power purveyors could be convicted.   Thus the answer clearly becomes financial gain, both outwardly "for the good of the game" and less visibly for each Kingdom.

How bad is the IOC?  Here’s a recent quote from Jacques Rogge the Poobah’s poobah of the IOC: "For us, freedom of expression is something that is absolute. It’s a human right," said Mr. Rogge.  "There are small restrictions in not making propaganda or demonstrations in Olympic venues, like on the podium. . . . We are a movement of 205 nationalities, and many of these nationalities are in conflict with each other," Rogge said. The IOC will provide athletes with guidance on what constitutes propaganda, he added, "and we’ll do this with a lot of common sense."  In other words freedom of expression is absolute, but we’re going to put a few restrictions on what can be said and done.  Hmmm  I think I’d really be anxious to clasp hands with this guy.

Remember the bribery scandals surrounding the Salt Lake City games  10 IOC members resigned and 10 others were reprimanded.  Congress launched three investigations.  The Justice Department convened a federal grand jury.  What mostly came out of this wailing and gnashing of teeth was that those member forced to resign and those reprimanded where only practicing business as usual, they just happened to get noticed outside of the back alley at a time other than the dead of night.

And the organizations that operate under the umbrella of the IOC are hardly any better, but why would we expect anything better to occur under such stellar leadership.  Remember the stink about Paul Hamm and the all around gold medal in men’s gymnastics?  You remember gymnastics, a sport which would easily survive on it’s own without the mega doses of cash being an "Olympic Sport" provides.  Well Mr. Hamm was asked to return his gold medal after the award ceremony because someone apparently made a mistake in scoring the Bronze medalists final performance.  Good sportsmanship all over the neighborhood that, eh?  Mr. Hamm even had to travel to a court hearing in Switzerland ( I think it was Switzerland) before he could be assured the medal was indeed his to keep.  Weird and weirder.  Remember the Winter Games were the Russian couple a Gold Medal despite an obvious even to the untrained observer second rate performance. The Canadian couple was awarded a second Gold Medal after the French judge admitted she bowed to pressure to vote for the Russian couple. Ice skating, another sport capable of standing on its own without the Olympic dollar supporter. 

These are the playmates the poohbahs of golfdom want to join.  For the good of the game?  Please, spare me.  I may have been born at night but it wasn’t last night so don’t try and get me to accept that we can’t grow the game without getting into the same arena with these schmucks.  I’m not buying it for a minute.  Is the game having trouble growing in South Korean?  What you say there are how many South Korean women members of the LPGA.  My my, and without the Olympics.  How did this happen?  Where exactly are you trying to grow the game?  Russia?  China?  Sudan? Hmmm. 

I have another question for the games anointed leaders;  who exactly benefits from this Olympic connection?  and how will it help my game?

Beginning the day with a four shot lead, Mr. Kim gave nothing back, rather adding a stroke to his margin of victory.  “I’m a little bit numb right now, but that walk up 18 was the best feeling of my entire life,” Kim said. “I’ll never forget that feeling. I had chills going up and down my spine. I want to recreate that as many times as possible now, so I’m really going to work hard.”  He’ll work really hard hauling the $1,134,000 winners share of the purse off to the bank.  Tough job, but somebody has to do it, eh.

Mr. Kim birdied the first and fifth holes, certainly not overcome by nerves.  “I was actually pretty comfortable. I thought I’d have a couple more butterflies in my stomach at the first tee,” Kim said. “I felt pretty calm and confident about my game.” Hard not to be confident when you hole putts from 25 and 20 feet on the seventh and eighth holes for two more birdies.  In the funny game that is golf talent allows a player to develop confidence in their ability.  At the same time results should have no affect on that confidence, in theory, yet when those putts start dropping it gets easier and easier to trust to ability.  As I said, funny game. Mr Kim finished at 18 under par, three shots lower than the record previously held by one Tiger Woods.

 None of the names of the game made a charge of any kind on the final day.  Ben Curtis used a day’s best 65 to vault himself into second place.  In fact that 65 was the lowest final day round in six years.  36 hole leader Jason Bohn shot 71 to finish in third at 10 under par.  He also summed up the feelings of those chasing Mr. Kim quite succinctly; “I looked over and said, ‘He’s 18-under par? Holy cow!”’ Bohn said.  Sums up a day of playing for second quite nicely.

Congratulations to a young man who played two marvelous days of golf on a deserving victory.  Oh, in case you wondered who the last youngster to win was, Sergio Garcia won his third event at the 2002 Mercedes Championship.

Paula “Pink Panther” Creamer, 21, beat her good buddy, 47-year-old Juli Inkster, on the second playoff hole to win the SemGroup Championship at the Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow, OK.

Sunday’s putting for the Pink Panther wasn’t purrfect, but when it really counted, she pounced and pawed the pink pill down for the prize.

All week, Paula was one of the only LPGA contestants under par. She spent Sunday’s final round with the only other player under par, Juli.  At 18th tee,  Paula had -3 and Juli -1. On the green, Paula missed a seven-footer for a bogey and Juli birded.  At the end of regulation they were tied at -2. They headed toward the 18th tee to begin their playoff showdown.

After great drives, Juli landed left on the green and barely missed her putt. Paula’s pink ball came to rest nine feet from the pin on the same line on which she’d missed a putt for the win 15 minutes earlier. She missed this putt, as well.

They moved on to the 10th hole, the second of their playoff. Each screamed a drive down the middle. Paula’s approach landed seven feet from the hole, Juli’s landed 50-some feet away and she missed her putt by a mere inch. Paula sank her putt for the joyous win.

For Hall-of-Famer Juli, it’s déjà vu. Last year, she sank a birdie putt on 18 to tie, then lost the playoff to Mi Hyun Kim. This year, she relived the defeat with Paula in the leading role. Still, she and Paula are great friends and they exchanged two heartfelt hugs before Juli left empty-handed and Paula gathered up the large trophy.

“I have to have a talk with my putter,” Paula said afterward, smiling and obviously greatly relieved not to have lost two playoffs in as many weeks.

Lorena? She finished tied for 5th at +3, unable to rally a miracle comeback, ending her winning streak at four.