There are so many story lines this week I don’t know where to begin. The battle for the #1 spot in the World Golf Rankings takes center stage today with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer paired together for the 1st two rounds of the tournament. It still amazes me that Luke Donald is currently ranked no. 1 and seems to have come out of nowhere in doing so. Two victories this year (WGC Accenture Match Play Championship and the BMW PGA Championship) and another 8 top 10’s on the PGA Tour have vaulted him to the top spot.  At 5’ 9” and 160 pounds this diminutive Brit doesn’t intimidate the competition, but his flawless iron game and world-class short game will sure wear out his most worthy competitors. Lee Westwood is coming off some solid play himself, having recently lost to Donald in a playoff for the BMW PGA Championship recently held in England. He is sorely lacking that Major Championship in his resume and has come oh so close in several recent majors. Defending PGA champion Kaymer is a little off his game as of late due to some tinkering with his swing, but the laid back German obviously has the skill set to turn up the heat at critical times. It will be interesting to see how this group does over the first two days of competition at Congressional.

Another storyline this week is the absence of Americans in the winner’s circle of majors recently.  Charl Schwartzel, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen and Graeme McDowell have all won the most recent majors along with the Europeans winning the Ryder Cup last fall. It is important for the Americans to win the US Open and let their presence be felt on the world golf stage once again. With Tiger Woods out of commission again and way off his game, it is wide open for at least a dozen or so Americans to take the mantle of “Best American Player”.  Several players eagerly pursuing that title include; Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney and Hunter Mahan.

….and then there was Phil Mickelson. The #5 ranked player in the world has made it painfully obvious to me that he can’t get over the hump to become the number one player in the world during Tiger’s recent absence. He had many opportunities last year, as the world’s #2 player and consistently squandered them.  He also has five devastating 2nd place finishes at the US Open over his career and at 41 years of age must begin to take advantage of every chance he can get. Could this be his year, here in our nation’s capital to get the job done at the US Open and reestablish himself as the best player in the world. That would make for some exciting theatre come Sunday afternoon at Congressional.

Other Notables Players There are several other players (all major winners) in the field that could make a run, but are flying under the radar. I am listing them here for entertainment purposes only.

Ernie Els – He won the last US Open played at Congressional in 1997 and still has the game to get it done here.

Stewart Cink – The 2009 British Open champion is a perfect fit for this long Congressional CC layout. Can he get the putter working well enough this week to be a factor.

Retief Goosen – The two time US Open winner comes off of an impressive showing last week at the St. Jude’s Classic.

Angel “El Pato” Cabrera – With a Masters and a US Open under his belt the gregarious Argentinian knows how to handle the world’s biggest stages.

In the category of “What Have You Done For Me Lately” are two wickedly talented under-performers. Both Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas burst onto the scene a few years ago with tremendous talent and promise and are both currently mired in horrible slumps. AK has a good track record here and Camilo played well last week for the 1st time in a while. Let’s hope these two young fan favorites can get their acts together this week.

The defending champion Graeme McDowell is also well off his best game in 2011. He made a splash at the TPC at Sawgrass recently, but was undone by a horrific final round on Sunday. Other than that the 2011 season has been a total washout. Can he get back on form and defend his title with another strong US Open showing?

And last, but certainly not least can Rory McIlroy shake off the stink of the almost major victory that was his  at this year’s Masters until a very untidy 43 on the back 9 on Sunday left him well out of contention.

Lots of story lines this week, but at the end there will be only one winner and a story to be told.

In Good Golf & Good Health
-TerpGolfDude

With the Sugarloaf Mountains looming as its backdrop, this beautifully crafted and meticulously manicured golf course will capture both your imagination and your competitive spirit. The 250 acres, from which it is carved, is surrounded by abundant woodlands and farms that afford you the feeling of complete seclusion… yet just 23 minutes from the capital beltway. Dye’s signature features are generously on display here… from rolling fairways bordered with mounds and moguls; multilevel greens; five sets of deeply terraced tee boxes; to deep pot bunkers. From tee boxes and greens edged with railroad ties; contrasting green sizes, both quite large and very small; artistic rock sculptures; tee to green bent grass; to an unforgivable island green. All in all, the image you’ll take away from this course will be unmistakably P.B. Dye. The par 72 layout plays at 7059 yards from the tips, yet is quite the fair test for the weekend golfer from the middle tees. Players face water on four holes, while ten others require shots over small streams and valleys.

I must first disclose that I have played PB Dye about six times previously and have not particularly liked the course before. It is definitely a course knowledge course with blind shots, multi-tiered undulating greens, severe slopes off most greens and hidden and pesky hazards. In short it is too tricked up for my liking as a golfer who likes much more traditional layouts. That being said I had a great time on this particular day. The course was in primo shape, the staff was very helpful and the pace of play was excellent.

PB Dye is the type of course where a good miss is much better than a well hit shot that is slightly off target. The number of holes where double bogey or worse comes into play is significant. The 1st three holes are pretty straightforward with the long par 5 3rd a particular fun three shot hole for all, but the longest ball strikers. On #4 things get interesting. The tee shot is straight away, but the green is long and narrow. It is guarded on the right by a pot bunker short and a small pond that runs the whole length of the green and cannot really be seen from the fairway. I can imagine a lot of head shaking the first time someone lands a ball pin high ten feet right of the green and finds themselves in the lake. The 6th hole is an “All You Can Eat” par 4 of approximately 475 yards from the tips and usually plays into a prevailing headwind. The green is well bunkered and a bogey 5 is not a bad score there. The picturesque ninth hole plays back towards the clubhouse and is fronted to the right by a pond that comes into play on the approach shot.

The back nine also has some good and interesting holes and the use of railroad ties, waste bunkers and native grasses all come into play on a number of holes. After a short par 4 and short par 3 at holes 10 & 11, the course lengthens out again with a great risk reward par 5. The  12th  hole has a large undulating multi-tiered green that makes choosing the correct club and distance control imperative.  I suspect a three-putt there is not uncommon. After another shortish par three, you will face two back to back severe dogleg right par fours. Picking the right club off the tee and deciding how much of the dogleg you will try to cut off make these holes both challenging and exciting. The last three holes play you back to the clubhouse and the finishing hole is another blind tee shot with a lake fronted approach shot to the green.

If you have never played PB Dye before I highly recommend it, but make sure to be patient, accepting of tough holes and tougher breaks and ready to hit shots from some pretty awkward situations around the greens.

All in all I had a really great experience at PB Dye this time and grudgingly have to admit that it is a course I might not love, but one worth playing again real soon.  Try it yourself and let us know what you think.

In Good Golf & Good Health
-TerpGolfDude

I called a few friends to join me and then called the pro shop to book a mid-week tee time. I was again pleasantly surprised when it became evident that the course was not going to be overly crowded that day and we would be able to play quickly which would lead to Part II of the master plan.

Coming from Montgomery, Co. MD the hour long drive took me right past the casino into the heart of Charles Town and then just slightly beyond into a more scenic rolling area on the outskirts of town. The beautiful Civil War era stone work bordering several properties took me far away from the hustle and bustle of the Washington Metropolitan area congestion. Located in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Locust Hill is a very playable, beautifully maintained public course gem. At a cost of under $40 including cart during the week it was well worth the drive and expense.

Now it’s no secret that we had a ton of rain this spring and that many of the area courses have been in the best course condition that I have seen them in many years. Locust Hill was no exception. Green and lush are an understatement to the course we played that day. Hit it in the rough and take your lumps as we were often forced to lay up with higher lofted clubs while trying to gouge our way out of the tall grass (3-4 inches).

Four sets of tees on every hole offer golfing at its best for all levels of skill. Whichever tee you choose, challenges abound across the 35 acres of lakes, ponds, and streams, which come into play on 11 of the 18 holes. The Blue Tees stretch the course out to a very challenging 7,005 yards, while the White Tees are set up at a modest and playable 6,394 yards. I took on the “Tips” while my playing partners checked out the White Tees for me.

There are many rock outcroppings on the course and they lend aesthetic beauty and challenges to the layout. Most of them are far enough out of play to not cause too much of a nuisance, but wayward shots definitely put more than one of these ancient formations into play.

I found the layout and mix of holes to be exceptional. There were several short par 4’s and in need of a very strategic first shot to get in position for the 2nd shot. The par 5’s were all long, but open and inviting and gave all levels of players the best opportunities at birdies. Several of the par 3’s were played over water and added the menacing challenge of having to carry the tee shot all the way to the green. The use of water and native grasses was very well thought out in my opinion.

Both nines were equally challenging and I did not find a weak part of the course as I do on so many public courses in the region. I fully enjoyed all 18 holes and would absolutely recommend this course to anyone willing to make the drive to Charles Town, WV. With the gaming only minutes away it does make for an excellent day if you tee off in the AM and have an interest in the many opportunities for wagering at nearby Hollywood Casino and Race Track. Another passion of mine, that is a close second to golf, is poker. The Hollywood Casino offers a 27 table poker room and is open 24/7. So get your golf and gaming on and get out to Locust Hill Golf Course in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.

Yours in Good Golf & Good Health,
TerpGolfDude

Locust Hill Golf Course – Charles Town WV – locusthillgolf.com

In other news the most influential and well known name in golf, Titleist (Acushnet  Co.), has been sold off by parent company Fortune Brands to Fila Korea and a private equity firm for the tidy sum of 1.225 billion dollars. Titleist along with Foot Joy and Pinnacle will now be part of the Fila stable and time will tell whether there will be any major changes made to the storied brand. This author certainly hopes not. The current management team including CEO Wally Uihlein will be kept in place and for the time being the corporate headquarters will remain in Fairhaven, Mass.

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger… what’s next for this fallen star? Like the commercial we have all seen too many times he has fallen and cannot get up. In a recent golf digest.com article, John Feinstein has added his two cents to the situation.

Read the Feinstein Article

Feinstein is clearly an insider in the golf industry and I respect his opinions and commentary. Is he on to something? Is this the beginning of the end for Tiger? Read his commentary and let me know what you, the WAGGLE.COM audience thinks. I look forward to seeing your comments.

Yours in Good Golf & Good Health,
Terp Golf Dude

Congratulations to KJ Choi (Shown above with his fan club – The Choi’s Bois) on his HUGE win at TPC Sawgrass this past weekend. By winning the 2011 Tournament Players Championship, he has reestablished himself as one of the best players in the world to never win a Major.  I do not and will not ever consider the Tournament Players Championship to be the 5th major.  I hope Tim Finchem is reading this. Nonetheless it was a fantastic victory for Choi and his giant putter grip.

The tournament was in my opinion one of the best of the year and the dramatic ending created great theatre. The obvious disappointment of David Toms was palpable. After a fantastic birdie on 18 to forge a tie and force a sudden death playoff, Tom’s hit a terrific shot on the 1st playoff hole (The island green 17th hole) only to miss a 3-footer for par.  How many times will Tom’s think about the ill-fated 2nd shot he attempted at #16 during regulation play that found a watery grave and cost him the tournament outright.

There were many contenders coming into Sundays round that seemed poised for the win and up for the challenge. They all fell along the wayside including McDowell, Watney, Goydos, Glover and several others that came up short on one of the golf world’s biggest stages.

Lucas Glover and his now famous beard made a run at the title after a 1st round 65. He got it to -11 on Sunday before collapsing under the enormous weight of the beard and finishing at -2. The article below details Glover’s new found look and the life of its own the Beard has taken on.

Read the Glover Article

First there was the Dustin Johnson debacle that handed GMAC the US Open last year at Pebble Beach. Then there was the more recent Rory McIlroy mega-meltdown at Augusta last month that was painful to watch.

Graeme McDowell can now be added to the list of Sunday meltdowns that have plagued some of the world’s best players recently. His poor play began on the 6th hole after canning a monster putt on the 5th to retake a share of the lead at -13. His army golf (left/right/left/right) the rest of the way and poor shot-making reminded me, of well, me. I was actually surprised when the scorecard was added up and read only 79. I thought he shot much worse than that. They say he’s a real tough character mentally so we will see where his head is at come June and the US Open at Congressional where he is the defending champion.

In Good Health and Good Golf,
Terp Golf Dude

On Friday, Tour veteran Michael Bradley tosses his club to the ground only to watch it bounce up and fall into the nearby lake. A fan came to the rescue and helped retrieve the club. He wound up carding a 7 on the hole, his 16th to miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass by a single stroke.

Must have been a Karma thing.

Yours in Good Golf & Good Health,
Terp Golf Dude

He passed away after a long battle with cancer and has not been a big part of the professional golf scene for several years now because of the  disease. His death occurred during the Open de España, where the European Tour marked his passing with a moment of silence during the third round at the Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona.

Tiger Woods said of Ballesteros that he was “one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game”. World number one Lee Westwood said of Ballesteros, “Seve made European golf what it is today”.

Seve was regarded as single-handedly establishing the European Tour on a global front. He won 91 tournaments worldwide. Of these wins fifty were on the the European Tour, nine were on the PGA Tour and he holds five majors. The majors include two Masters and three British Opens.

He is best remembered on the golf course for his flamboyant swashbuckling style, his ability to get up and down from anywhere on the course and his gregarious, charismatic and confident persona.

Seve played on several Ryder Cup teams for Europe and was well known for his gamesmanship. He captained the winning European Ryder Cup Team in 1997, held at Valderrama Golf Club at Sotogrande, Spain. It was one of the last highlights of a fabled career and maybe the crowning achievement late in his career.

Seve will be sorely missed, but his spirit most definitely lives on.

In other PGA news the most well known sports personality in the world, Tiger Woods, has made the headlines again. He withdrew from this week’s  Tournament Players Championship from the TPC at  Sawgrass Golf Course in Ponte Vedra FL.

He withdrew after playing only 9 holes on Thursday citing a plethora of injuries to his knee, his achilles and his calf. He was also six over par at the time and shot a 42. He shook hands with his two playing partners and walked to the scoring and officials trailer to retire from the event. He then gave a short press conference, got into his late model Mercedes and left the golf course.

More than one writer and golf analyst has noted that Tiger’s ego was probably more hurt than his body. He duck hooked his 1st tee shot and later chipped a ball into a lake. The winning Tiger Woods plays with extreme confidence, passion for the game and the killer instinct. It was not that long ago that Tiger beat Rocco Mediate on a busted up leg in a playoff at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. The Tiger of today is becoming a mere mortal and as fan of golf I hope he rounds into form and becomes a force again in every event he tees it up in. It’s good for the game of golf.

In Good Golf & Good Health,
TERP GOLF DUDE

It is by far my favorite week of the year and I am so pumped up for Thursday coverage to begin.

I’m old school when it comes to golf and I believe in tradition. Although Augusta National has been modified over the years it maintains most of the same features it did when it was founded by Bobby Jones in 1933.

It’s been said ad-nauseum by announcers that you can’t appreciate the severity of the slopes at Augusta and they are right. The slopes on the greens, around the greens and even some of the elevation changes off the tee and to the green are so tricked up you couldn’t imagine actually having to play the course.

S o here we are yet again glued to the TV with thousands of azaleas in full bloom, Magnolia Drive, Pimiento and Cheese sandwiches and everything else that is synonymous with The Masters.

On to the players: 10 To Watch Out For

Talk about heating up at the right time. Phil Mickelson has positioned himself as the clear favorite again with his win last week at the Shell Houston Open.

World # 1 Martin Kaymer is out to prove he has the game for Augusta. He has missed the cut three years in a row. His only Masters experiences have been failures. He claims to have learned from it and is ready to contend.

Lee Westwood was last year’s runner-up. And is currently the #2 player in the world. He has come awfully close in several Majors recently and is poised to get the job done real soon.

How can we talk about the Masters and not put Tiger Woods in the mix. Despite al the turmoil, injuries and swing changes, not to mention changing swing coaches, Tiger is still as dangerous at Augusta as any. His 4th place finish last year attests to that.

Nick Watney already has a WGC title under his belt this season. He’s got the game for Augusta, but can he keep his emotions in check all week on a very demanding track. His 7th place finish last year is testament to his potential and is a pre-tournament favorite.

Hunter Mahan is one of the hottest players on tour right now. He seems to be on high up on the leaderboard every week and will win a major soon. I personally think it will come at this year’s U.S. Open at Congressional right here in our nation’s capital. He finished 8th at Augusta last year.

Another player possibly hitting his stride at the right time is Anthony Kim. He finally showed up to play last week at the SHO and came in 3rd here last year after a blistering final round 65. He says that Augusta is his favorite course.

Mat Kuchar has probably been the most consistent player on the PGA Tour over the last 15 months. He has put together an impressive 17 top 10’s during that time frame. He went to nearby Georgia Tech and would love nothing more than to win one in front of what would most definitely be considered a hometown crowd.

Who hits it very long, is left handed, uses tremendous imagination on the course and can shape the ball in any direction. That’s right I am talking about Bubba Watson. If Phil can do it so can Bubba if he like Nick Watney can keep his emotions in check this week. Bubba now a big time fan fave is primed to take his game to the next level. A guy with a name like Bubba winning the Masters in the deep South, just sounds right.

Rory Mc Ilroy is one of the young guns unafraid to go low and seemingly impervious to pressure. If he brings his “A” game this week he will contend. Although slight in stature the kid can bomb it and has a deft touch around the greens.

Notables:
• Dustin Johnson – Long and Strong and oh so close at several majors last year
• Rickie Fowler – Could his first tour victory come at Augusta and what colors would he wear on Sunday
• Martin Laird – The long hitting Scotsman has one win under his belt already this year and hits it miles high. Ask Jack if that is helpful around Augusta
• Adam Scott has made it very clear this event has been his sole focus in 2011
• Fred Couples – After a T6 last year if the back holds up he could have a late Sunday pairing
• Paul Casey – The guy is just plain good and he has a good track record here
• Luke Donald – The world’s #3 player is one of the best iron players in the game
• Ian Poulter – The Brash Brit is spouting off at the mouth again regarding Tiger and better have some game to back it up
• Rory Sabattini – Came close here a few years back and his recent performance at the Honda showed me the game is back
• Sergio Garcia – Can the former wunderkind put all the criticism to rest with a top finish here

With a world class field I could go on and on, but I will stop here. Enjoy the tournament and we will get all caught up next week.

In Good Health and Good Golf,
Terp Golf Dude

The last several PGA tournaments have provided some dramatic finishes, first time winners and a great lead up to this week’s event “The Masters” which will be previewed separately.
Mark Wilson picked up his 2nd event of the 2011 season at The Waste Management Open in Phoenix showing that winning the Sony Open was no fluke and he is a force to be reckoned with this year.

DA Points channeled a little “Caddy Shack’ action with his Pro AM partner Bill Murray. The circus like atmosphere created by Murray was to Points liking all week and he won by 2 shots over the always dangerous Hunter Mahan. Ohhhhhh Billy Billy Billy…………a true Cinderella Story!

Aaron Baddeley showcased his talents in LA at The Northern Telecom Open. An impressive putting performance capped off his two shot victory over Vijay Singh (welcome back to quality golf Vijay).

At the 1st WGC event of the year we got to really see some world-class play. With the top 64 players in the world going at it in match play format it came down to European Tour stars Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer in the 36 hole final. Donald prevailed 3 & 2 and the two of them finished the event as the No. 1 (Kaymer)and No 3 (Donald)players in the World Golf Rankings.

Rory Sabattini won the next week at The Honda Classic as the Florida swing began. He hung on to best Y. E. Yang by one shot and Jerry Kelly by two.

The 2nd WGC event came the following week at Doral as Nick Watney beat a world-class field to lock down the event with a two stroke victory. Dustin Johnson the 3rd round leader came in second and felt the sting of yet another opportunity to win slip through his fingers.

Gary Woodland secured his first tour victory at The Transition Championship in Tampa. He held on for a one stroke win over another potential 1st time winner, Webb Simpson. By winning, Gary a long hitting young player, earned his 1st trip to Augusta this week and must be STOKED!!!

At Arnold’s tournament, The Bay Hill Classic a young Scotsman played an extraordinary week of golf to secure his 2nd victory on tour. His 75 on Sunday was the highest final round score of an eventual winner the tour had seen in many years. His fortune was offset by Steve Marino’s late round collapse and further heartache while trying to get into the winners circle for the 1st time.

This past weekend found us in more familiar territory with Phil Mickelson turning on the after burners, making birdies in bunches and winning the Shell Houston Open by 3 shots over Chris Kirk and Scott Verplank and by 7 over the next closest competitors Steve Stricker and Aaron Baddeley.

That’s all for know and look for my Masters Preview piece later today.

In Good Health and Good Golf,
Terp Golf Dude

Davis Love III was announced as the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team at a news conference last Thursday at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club, the site of the 2012 matches. He will be leading the U.S. Team that is still licking it wounds after a loss to the Colin Montgomerie led European squad that defeated the U. S. in Wales last fall.

“To be named Ryder Cup captain is a thrill I never thought I would have. I’d love to share that with my father,” said a choked-up Love, whose father, longtime PGA player Davis Love Jr., died in a plane crash early in Love’s career. “I know somehow I am. … There’s not a tour player out there that plays one tour event or six Ryder Cups that doesn’t have a PGA professional that led them to that position.”

Love — a 20-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1997 PGA Championship — will lead 12 players in an attempt to win back the cup. Some question whether he is tough enough to motivate the team and tactical enough to find the right match ups within his crew.

“I’m a players’ captain,” said Love, who has played on six Ryder Cup teams. “I’ll try to get them what they need to be successful. I’m not going to tell the best players in the world how to play golf. I’m not going to read their putts. A good leader knows he’s got a great team.”

Earlier in the month, two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal was named captain of Europe’s team.

Correcting my Updates From The Tour article from last week a clearly disgruntled Dustin Johnson dismissed rumors that he was dating LPGA star and Mega-Babe Natalie Gulbis. He emphatically denied any romantic involvement with her and essentially called her out on some comments that she had made the week before regarding their relationship. Dude are you sure? Is that your final answer.

A shout out goes to PGA Tour Rookie and 1st time winner Jhonattan Vegas for his win last Week at The 2011 Bob Hope Classic defeating Bill Haas and fellow tour rookie Gary Woodland in a three way playoff.

On the Senior Tour John Cook won the 2011 Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Martin Kaymer dominated the field and won by 8 shots over Rory McIlroy to win the HSBC Golf Championship. He is en fuego having won the PGA Championship, KLM Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in addition to the HSBC since August of 2010. I would not be surprised to see him become the No. 1 Ranked player in the world this year.

In Good Health and Good Golf,
Terp Golf Dude