When Butch Harmon speaks, you listen. The normal reaction to the patter of tiny salesmen is to run a mile. But Harmon is the best in the business.
In the course of half an hour, Harmon says that it would be madness not to appoint Ian Woosnam as the next Ryder Cup captain, predicts that both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods will join the European Tour next year and wonders if John Daly will ever learn to help himself.
What sets Harmon apart is that not only does he say what he thinks most of the time, he has the experience and insight to give his opinions real value on the sporting shock market.
Harmon led a mortar crew in the Vietnam War, played professional golf, lost his temper a lot, hit rock bottom through booze and gambling, and coached Tiger Woods in arguably the greatest year a golfer has had.
Oh, and Harmon’s dad won the Masters. Oh, and Harmon now coaches Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Adam Scott. And Jose Maria Olazabal, potentially Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain. And Corey Pavin, the recently appointed American Ryder Cup captain. So when Harmon says that Woosnam should be the next Ryder Cup captain, or that Mickelson will join the European Tour next season, you tend to take notice.
“I would go for Woosie. It’s the obvious choice. He won last time at the K Club. It’s in Wales. He cannot make the Ryder Cup team. Monty could still make the team and I know Jose thinks he can still make the team. He spent time with me two months ago and he wanted to play.”
Is Woosnam not too old? According to Europe’s tournament committee, 50-year-old captains are out of touch. Harmon said: “Age has nothing to do with it. You could be 40 and out of touch with the players. It’s rubbish. It almost sounds like an excuse [for defeat under the 51-year-old Faldo]. This one should have been a slam dunk. Woosie in Wales. I can’t even imagine why anyone else was on the docket to be considered.”
If Woosnam should have been a slam dunk as Europe’s captain, should Paul Azinger not have been an easy lay-up as America’s leader, rather than Corey Pavin? Harmon said: “The American team really wanted Azinger to do it again. All the players wanted him. Phil Mickelson really wanted Azinger to do it again. But Corey will be a good captain. He’s feisty, he still plays the Tour and he will definitely learn from Azinger.”
Pavin may still play the US Tour, but what about the rest of the Americans? When Alvaro Quiros won in Qatar on Sunday he shot up to No 28 in the world, winning twice as many ranking points as Pat Perez, who limped up to 59th spot after his win in California. The balance of power is shifting.
Harmon said: “The Race to Dubai has created a whole new atmosphere in golf. It will be a world event. The FedEx Cup in the US hasn’t taken off like they thought it would. It’s very limited. The Race to Dubai allows everyone in the world to play in a European Tour event. You’ve seen that with the Americans. I think Phil will join next year, I really do, and I think you will see Tiger Woods join too. It will be spectacular.”
Ah, Phil and Tiger. So what was coach Harmon’s take on the moment when Tiger’s caddie, Steve Williams, called Mickelson a —–? Harmon said: “It was ridiculous. I can’t even imagine why he would say anything like that. Even if you thought it I don’t know why you’d say it. I know he called and apologised but I don’t know how you can apologise.”
Mickelson was with Harmon in Las Vegas nine days ago and said: “It’s over and done with.” But Mickelson must know that it is not. Woods responded to the furore by reprimanding Williams, but rejected calls to sack him. Harmon said: “The conversation I would like to have heard was the one between Tiger and Steve Williams. The player is in charge of the caddie’s mouth.”
But Mickelson did tell Harmon that he didn’t think Williams should have been sacked.
There is never enough time with Harmon, but before he whizzed off to what he called “the pub”, there was just time to ask him about John Daly, who was supposed to be playing in Dubai this week but has not turned up again. Harmon coached Daly for a while before “sacking” the player in an acrimonious split last year.
Harmon said: “I felt I could help John. I was gonna give him tough love. I thought that’s what he needed because everyone seems to tolerate everything he does. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. But when you have a problem, until you’re willing to face your problem and admit you have one, it’s always going to be there. It’s a sad thing. He’s a great kid.”
Butch Harmon was speaking at the launch of The Butch Harmon School of Golf at The Els Club, Dubai Sports City.
Ian Woosnam uses TaylorMade golf equipment. To view their full range, please click here.
Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has criticised Ian Poulter’s decision not to play for Great Britain and Ireland in this week’s Vivendi Trophy.
Monty felt that Poulter’s no show was a failure to pay his dues after the Englishman had received a wild card to play in last years Ryder Cup.
Speaking on the eve of the match between GB&I and Continental Europe at Saint-Nom-la-Breteche, near Paris, Monty said of Poulter: “Not having qualified for the Tour Championship and having been picked for the last Ryder Cup team a little more effort might have been made to come here.”
That may sound mild, but in the context of the diplomatic language used by a Ryder Cup captain it was close to a bawling out. Monty deliberately singled out Poulter from the other absentees because Poulter had been given a wild card into the 2008 Ryder Cup.
Monty reiterated that “more of an effort might well have been made” by Poulter because of that debt and then repeated his disappointment on BBC radio. The Ryder Cup captain is in France as an interested observer and was anxious later that he had not spoken out of turn. Maybe some things are better said in private.
However, Poulter tweeted: “It would have been great to play [in the Vivendi], but it’s so important not to burn out. I really want to be fresh and strong for all of the Ryder Cup qualifying events that I’m going to play in. Ryder Cup means everything to me.” Poulter added that Monty would be an inspirational captain.
There is a lot of history between Monty and Poulter. Four years ago when this competition was called ‘The Seve Trophy’, Monty reprimanded Poulter for practising rather than supporting his teammates. At last year’s European Open Poulter then had a go at Monty for making too much noise.
The row reached a climax in the lead-up to Nick Faldo’s picks ahead of the 2008 Ryder Cup. Monty said that Poulter seemed to have a “hotline” to the captain.
Poulter responded by saying: “Monty has enough work to do to try to make the side, he should be getting his head down.” Monty then said: “It’s nice to be told what to do by one so young and inexperienced.”
Several other players are absent this week, but only Poulter, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia are not either excused by injury or a commitment to play in the Tour Championship in America.
Paul McGinley, the GB&I captain, said: “I’ve always been a great team player and whenever I’ve got picked for a team I play. Others guys see it another way. I might not agree with it, but I respect that they have a different opinion.
“Lee is the only one who rang me and explained why he wasn’t going to play. As I say, I didn’t agree with him and I don’t agree with him, but I respect that he’s his own man and he can make his own decisions.”
Thomas Bjorn, the captain of Continental Europe, was reluctant to comment on Garcia’s absence but he did stir things up by saying: “When you’re a Continental European there’s nothing better than beating Brits.”
It was all very in the spirit of Seve, who was the orginal force behind this competiton. There is a plane on standby to fly Seve in on Sunday morning if he feels up to it, but at the moment the Spaniard is pretty unwell after a second course of radiotherapy.
Rory McIlroy has never met Ballesteros, but he was moved by a letter that Seve sent to the two teams. McIlroy, who is making his debut in professional team competition, said: “There was bit right at the end that said: ‘It seemed like only yesterday when I came on Tour. It went so quickly. Make the most of it and enjoy your time out here because it doesn’t last for very long.’”
McIlroy, meanwhile, says he has revised his opinion of the Ryder Cup. Earlier this year, the 20 year-old branded the event an “exhibition” and was not “a huge goal” of his.
“I take my comments back a little bit and this is a great opportunity for me to show what I can do in a team event,” McIlroy said.
George O’Grady, the chief executive of the European Tour, announced on Monday that the Race to Dubai prize money would be cut by $5 million, a reduction of 25 per cent. What he did not say was whether the end of season cash climax would even be in existence next year and why so many other costs remained unpaid.
Telegraph Sport understands that O’Grady and Keith Waters, the director of International policy, were unable to get any assurances over the Race to Dubai’s long-term future during their three-day visit to Dubai last week. Recent reports suggest that the Race to Dubai might be cut from a five-year agreement to a three-year deal.
But when the European Tour officials met their UAE business partners they could not even confirm a one-year extension, although that is now the most likely outcome.
O’Grady said on Monday: “We have been assured that our agreement is proceeding substantially as planned.
“The European Tour has offered to reduce the prize money to reflect the worldwide economic position and we will jointly examine prize money levels in future years in the light of this developing global situation.
“The Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates looks superb and work is being completed on the public areas, car parks and access roads.”
When the European Tour first announced the deal in November 2007, it included a five-year commitment, $100 million of prize money and a further $50 million war chest. Part of the $50 million was to cover branding at other tournaments, but many of those costs remain unpaid.
Hamza Mustafa, managing director of Nakheel Leisure, said: “Nakheel is committed to The Race to Dubai and the Dubai World Championship.
“The prize funds for both competitions are significant amounts that are worthy of the season-ending tournament and world-class field that will be competing, yet reflective of a new economic climate.”
Earlier this year O’Grady said: “Our five-year contract is safe. We are not renegotiating it. They [the Dubai government] might have moved it from Leisurecorp to Nakheel, but the bones of the contract remain the same. We are financially sound and secure.”
Those bones are now virtual dust. The European Tour will stage a cut-price ‘Dubai World Championship’ in November that presently lacks even a one-year guarantee. картинки анимэ эротикой
Tom Watson’s incredible near miss at the Open Championship has forced the R&A to review their decision to introduce an age limit on competitors.
Eighteen months ago the R&A changed the exemption rules which meant former champions would not be able to appear in the tournament beyond the age of 60.
But Watson’s performance at Turnberry, when he lost in a play-off to Stewart Cink, at the age of 59 may force a rethink.
“I don’t think we contemplated a 59-year-old leading the Open Championship going into the back nine on the final day at the time (the decision was made), and every year after the Open we look at the exemptions, and no doubt we’ll look at this one,” said Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the R&A.
“It’s much too early to say what, if anything, we’ll do with it, but we’ll certainly be looking at it. But we brought down the age limit in order to give more spaces in the championship to younger players allegedly in their prime to compete.”
Watson’s performance followed Greg Norman’s third-placed finish at the age of 53 in last year’s Open at Royal Birkdale and the former champions are firm favourites with the galleries.
Watson will be 60 next year and under the present rules the 2010 Open at St Andrews will be his last unless he can manage a top ten finish, which guarantees a tournament place the following year, or a victory, which brings a ten year exemption.
“Well, the spectators love to see the old players come back, don’t they, and I think that will always be a feature of The Open Championship,” added Dawson.
“We’d certainly want it to be. It’s great to see the names of the past competing. But I do think it’s important that we see them in a state where they are reasonably competitive. We don’t want it to become a procession. It still has to be a golf championship.
“Tom Watson certainly seemed to be able to steer his golf ball around a links course better than many, and in particular, I don’t know if the statistics will back this up, but it appeared to me watching on television, to be able to hit a lot more fairways or miss a lot fewer in the thick stuff than anybody else. And clearly that was key to his success, apart from the fact his putter was fairly warm at the time, but he kept the ball in play and knew how to do that. Many golf courses these days perhaps don’t require that degree of accuracy, but this one certainly did.”
The golf world rankings were published this morning and Watson’s Turnberry heroics have seen him shoot up 1,270 places. If he had holed his eight-foot putt on the final green to win the Open at the age of 59, he would have moved to an incredible 45th in the world. Instead Watson is ranked at 104th, three places higher than Darren Clarke.
He will now have to use all of his experience to put the pain of defeat behind him as he switches focus to the British Seniors Open which starts at Sunningdale on Thursday. There Watson will be competing against a field which includes Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo and Norman.
World No 1 Tiger Woods has accepted an invitation to speak during U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration event in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
“We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” is the first of several events sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Obama’s inauguration on Tuesday.
“I am honoured that I was invited to this historic event and look forward to participating in Sunday’s festivities,” Woods said.
Arguably the greatest player of all time, Woods became the first African-American to win a major at the 1997 U.S. Masters.
The 33-year-old clinched his 14th major victory at the U.S. Open in June but has been out of action since as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.
Woods is among several celebrities who will take part in Sunday’s event at the Lincoln Memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
Others include Hollywood actors Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah and musicians Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.
George Stephens Jr, the event’s executive producer, said earlier this week a key theme would be Obama’s place in history among other presidents who have led the country in difficult times.
“It’s not a celebration of victory; it’s about the country coming together for the future we’re going to face,” Stephens added.
“There’s a sense of history about it. Much of the music will be in the context of that history. The Lincoln Memorial is a kind of sacred site.”
Sunday’s event, which will be open to the public, will be shown on U.S. cable TV channel HBO, allowing viewers across the United States with access to cable or satellite television to view for free.
The safest way to approach the green is to keep the ball reasonably close to the ground.
But occasionally, when your path is blocked by something like a bunker and you have very little green to work with, you need a much higher ‘lob’ shot.
Tiger Woods has perfected this shot and makes it look easy.
But it can be risky as it is technically difficult.
So if the ground is bare, forget it.
Here’s our guide to the lob. Remember, you need to get the clubface under the ball to have any chance of playing this shot well.
Step 1
Set up with your shoulders square to the target but your feet wide open pointing to the left of it.
The ball should be slightly nearer the front foot.
Setting up like this will enable you to cut the club underneath the ball - the key to getting it high in the air.
Practice twisting your grip slightly so the clubface looks more open.
But adjust your stance to make sure the club stays square to the target at impact.
Step 2
Swing the clubhead back along the line of the feet - it should feel like you are swinging well outside your normal line.
Unlike a normal chip, you must hinge your wrists quickly to get a steep angle of attack.
Do not be afraid to take a full backswing.
If you play the shot correctly it will go high but only a short distance.
Step 3
Accelerate down across the line of the ball.
Though you are swinging the club shaft almost diagonally across your toes, the clubface square should still be square to the target and the ball should fly high towards the flag.
If it shoots left, you may be releasing the club too early or not setting the clubface square when you address the ball.
Step 4
This shot works best from the rough as it creates enough space beneath the ball necessary for the club to get under it.
That means you need a firm follow through to get the clubhead through the grass.
Concentrate on taking the club as far forward as you did back.
Tee times for first round of the 109th US Open championship that begins Thursday June 18, 2009, at Bethpage Black golf course in Farmingdale, New York.
12:00pm – Rickie Fowler*, Casey Wittenberg, Bo Van Pelt
12:11 – Drew Weaver*, Angelo Que (Phillippines), Simon Khan (England)
12:22 – David Horsey (England), John Mallinger, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain)
12:33 – Rory Sabbatini (South Africa), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Ryuji Imada (Japan)
12:44 – Vijay Singh (Fiji), Jeev Milkha Singh (India), KJ Choi (Korea)
12:55 – Ian Poulter (England), Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby (Australia)
1:06 – Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Tiger Woods
1:17 – Ryan Moore, Ben Crane, Eric Axley
1:28 – Lee Westwood (England), Zach Johnson, David Erdy*
1:39 – Bubba Watson, Johan Edfors (Sweden), John Merrick
1:50 – Francesco Molinari (Italy), George McNeill, Simon Dyson (England)
1:01 – Cameron Tringale*, Sean Farren, Andrew Parr (Canada)
1:12 – Vaughn Snyder*, Ryan Spears, Michael Miles
5:30 – James Nitties (Australia), Peter Tomasulo, Martin Laird (Scotland)
5:41 – David Smail (New Zealand), Cameron Beckman, Steve Allan (Australia)
5:52 – JJ Henry, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain), Briny Baird
6:03 – Kyle Stanley*, Lucas Glover, DJ Trahan
6:14 – JB Holmes, Alvaro Quiros (Spain), Nick Watney (Australia)
6:25 – Sergio Garcia (Spain), Camilo Villegas (Colombia), Adam Scott (Australia)
6:36 – Justin Rose (England), Sean O’Hair, Ross Fisher (England)
6:47 – Rocco Mediate, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman
6:58 – Hunter Mahan, Oliver Wilson (England), Brendt Snedeker
7:09 – Billy Mayfair, Matt Kuchar, Ricky Barnes
7:20 – Darron Stiles, Shintaro Kai (Japan), Matt Jones (Australia)
7:31 – Tyson Alexander*, Charlie Beljan, Ryan Blaum
7:42 – Matt Nagy*, Shawn Stefani, Doug Batty (New Zealand)
12:00pm – JP Hayes, Greg Kraft, Jeff Brehaut
12:11 – Drew Kittleson*, Sang Moon Bae (Korea), Michael Sim (Australia)
12:22 – Heath Slocum, Charlie Wi (Korea), Richard Bland (England)
12:33 – Ben Curtis, Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland), Chad Campbell
12:44 – Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Andrew Svoboda, Steve Stricker
12:55 – Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Jim Furyk, Paul Casey (England)
1:06 – Luke Donald (England), Clinton Jensen, Tim Clark (South Africa)
1:17 – Anders Romero (Argentina), Eduardo Romero (Argentina), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)
1:28 – Michael Campbell (New Zealand), Boo Weekley, Rod Pampling (Australia)
1:39 – Kevin Sutherland, Scott Lewis*, Ken Duke
1:50 – Bronson Burgoon*, Craig Bowden, Chris Kirk
2:01 – Ben Martin*, Josh McCumber, Kevin Silva
2:12 – Josh Brock*, Trevor Murphy, Nate Tyler
5:30 – Matt Bettencourt, James Kamte (South Africa), Kaname Yokoo (Japan)
5:41 – Nick Taylor* (Canada), Scott Gutschewski, Gary Woodland
5:52 – Carl Pettersson (Sweden), Azuma Yano (Japan), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)
6:03 – David Duval, David Toms, Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland)
6:14 – Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson
6:25 – Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark), Soren Hansen (Denmark), Peter Hansen (Sweden)
6:36 – Retief Goosen (South Africa), Ernie Els (South Africa), Phil Mickelson
6:47 – Stuart Appleby (Australia), Fred Funk, Todd Hamilton
6:58 – Mike Weir (Canada), Stephen Ames (Canada), Stewart Cink
7:09 – Thomas Levet (France), Jean-Francois Lucquin (France), Raphael Jacquelin (France)
7:20 – Andrew McLardy (South Africa), Chris Stroud, Brian Gay
7:31 – Clark Klaasen, Colby Beckstrom, Cameron Yancey
7:42 – Kyle Peterman*, Michael Welch, Cortland Lowe
Sergio Garcia turns 29 on Friday and his wish for the year “is to try to win a major”. What he really means is that his wish for the year is to win a major.
Garcia has been trying for the previous 10 years, ever since he finished second to Tiger Woods at the 1999 US PGA. The Spaniard’s failure to triumph in any of his next 36 attempts has earned him the unwanted title of ‘best player not to win a major’. It has also earned him the title of the ‘Spanish Greg Norman’.
The Great White Shark had the misfortune to be constantly undone by opponents’ miracle shots (Larry Mize’s chip-in, Bob Tway’s holed bunker shot). Garcia seems to make a habit of hitting the pin at crucial moments and seeing his ball ricochet to all corners of the green. Garcia may think that by going out with Norman’s daughter, Morgan, he has tempted the fates.
But any sports psychologist will tell you that there is no such thing as an unlucky golfer. Norman and Garcia invited their own ‘bad luck’ by squandering leads. Woods has a reputation for being lucky, but then he also has a reputation for never squandering a lead.
Garcia’s goal for the season, starting in Abu Dhabi next week, is to start making his own luck. Garcia’s biggest enemy is self-pity. His whinge after losing the 2007 Open to Padraig Harrington was excruciating in its gracelessness. After his ball hit the pin on the 15th hole of the final round of last year’s US PGA Championship and bounced 10ft away Garcia said: “At least this time it stayed on the green.” More self-pity.
Even more recently Garcia seemed to attribute Europe’s defeat at the Ryder Cup to the fact that their dressing room was half the size of the Americans and only had two showers, one of which was next to the loo. This sort of nonsense has got to stop.
In 2008 Garcia had the best season of his career. He won the Players Championship, the biggest event after the majors, with an exhibition of driving that would have even got Norman purring. He was runner-up at the US PGA and he won twice more at the end of the season to be ranked the No 2 player in the world.
Garcia now has a choice. He can either be the lip-curling churl who threw a shoe down the fairway at the 1999 World Matchplay, smashed a divot to smithereens at the 2003 Open and spat into the hole at the 2007 CA Championship. Or he can grow up and start winning majors.
The signs are that he may be maturing. In February 2008 Garcia was a confused boy, with two putters in his bag for his first-round match in the Accenture Matchplay. On the advice of caddie Billy Foster, he sought help from putting guru Stan Utley.
By the end of the year Garcia was putting well enough to win a major. A few years earlier the paranoid re-gripper of golf clubs would not have been adult enough to admit he had a problem on the greens.
Many good judges rate Garcia as the purest ball striker in the game, above the likes of even Woods and Adam Scott. But no truly great player other then Ben Hogan, and perhaps Nick Faldo, has failed to win a major in their twenties.
Garcia will not to want to turn 30 still branded the best player not to have won a major. That way semi-greatness lies. But that ‘Greg Norman’ tag may not be as bad as it sounds right now. It was after all at Turnberry, the venue for this year’s Open, that ‘The Great White Shark’ won his first major. So Sergio – happy birthday, keep smiling and be lucky.
Hoey’s 64 reeled in
Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey starts the second round of the Joburg Open on Friday just one stroke off the pace after carding a 64.
He was the leader in the clubhouse at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club until local journeyman Trevor Fisher picked up nine birdies to take the lead, along with Steven Jeppeson, of Sweden.
Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen found the going tough, having to settle for a 71.
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jnr, the son of the former Olympic president, found time in his busy schedule to stop off for a quick lunch on Wednesday with senior European Tour officials.
On the menu was prawn cocktail, fillet of sole, the 2018 Ryder Cup and golf’s bid for a place at the 2016 Olympics.
‘Juanito’ Samaranch, Spain’s member on the International Olympic Committee, sat next to the European Tour’s chief executive George O’Grady inside Shepherd’s private dining room. The 48-year-old Spaniard would doubtless have been keen to stress Madrid’s bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, while O’Grady wanted to talk Olympics. Michael Payne, the marketing director of the IOC for over 20 years, also attended the lunch.
Golf is up against squash, rugby, karate, roller sports, softball and baseball for a place in the 2016 Games. The likes of Tiger Woods, Lorena Ochoa, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia have already spoken in favour of golf’s inclusion, but their voices will mean nothing without the support of Olympic powerbrokers like Samaranch.
The Spaniard plays off an 11 handicap at Madrid’s Royal Puerta de Hierro and would be a natural advocate for golf’s inclusion in the Olympics. It would be equally natural for Samaranch to hope that the European Tour would look favourably on Madrid’s bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup.
O’Grady said: “There’s a bidding document (for the 2018 Ryder Cup) being distributed to all the interested countries on the continent of Europe. Meetings have taken place with some already.
“Ideally we will decide the venue by the Sunday of the Welsh Ryder Cup, but there are no rules.” O’Grady said that Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Holland and Portugal had so far all declared an interest.
“It will be competitive. The French and Spanish Opens are the oldest on Tour. Spain has a capital city coming to bid and have had a lot of players on the team.”
Ryder Cupper Miguel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano both sit on the tournament committee, Jose Maria Olazabal is favourite to captain the Ryder Cup team in 2012 and the influential Sergio Garcia already hosts a tournament on the European Tour. With the backing of Samaranch they make a powerful lobby group for Madrid.
But it was talk of golf’s inclusion at the Olympics that dominated the lunch. Would Kenya, a sevens playing nation, lead many of the African nations to support rugby’s bid. Would Sergio’s mate Rafael Nadal, the Olympic tennis champion, lend his support to golf. Was golf’s lack of testing for human growth hormone a potential problem given the IOC’s strict line on drugs.
There is no doubt the European Tour is prepared to do everything it can to assist golf gain a place in the Olympics. If that means bringing in blood testing for HGH, then they will do it.
If it means shifting the dates of the Ryder Cup back to odd numbered years “at the expense of the lame Presidents Cup” then they will certainly do it. World golf has never been so united in a single cause.
Putting is arguably the most important skill in golf.
Forget about reading the green until you have mastered pace. Getting this right comes from developing a smooth putting rhythm.
There are no hard and fast rules about how you address the ball - develop any style you like as long as it delivers a smooth and reliable stroke.
Step 1.
Very few top golfers break their wrists when they putt.
Instead they let their arms hang loosely and hold the putter lightly so both hang like a pendulum from the shoulders.
Ben Crenshaw is one of the world’s finest. He holds the putter so lightly he sometimes drops it - but this is how he achieves the ‘touch’ behind a smooth rhythm.
Set up with the ball near your front foot, the club face square to the target line and your eyes over the ball.
It is important to keep your hands level or ahead of the ball through the stroke.
Step 2.
Move the putter away smoothly, the arms hinging from the shoulders not the elbows or wrists.
Keep the putter head as a low to the ground as possible.
Keep the putter on a line square to the target as you swing it back and then forth.
Step 3.
Maintain your tempo through the swing, accelerating slightly into the ball.
Watch the putter head strike the back of the ball on the upswing, feeling almost as if the palm of your right hand is striking it towards the target.
The best putting strokes look smooth because the club is swung back and forward at the same speed.
Step 4.
Follow through to the hole with your club, not your eyes.
It is good to practice keeping eye contact on the spot where the ball was rather than trying to see where it has gone.
Practice counting two seconds in your head before you allow yourself to see how well you’ve done.
January 2009
January 27th, 2009 
