Head First Golf

It was rainy - it was brutal but in the end Ochoa pulled it off. This makes her third win at the Sybase Classic golf event. Said Ochoa:

“”It was a tough day, but I did it,” Ochoa said. “I think that was what was important. It doesn’t matter how you do it sometimes; you play really good, other players struggle, sometimes you just keep yourself in a good position. Today it was different; it was a different win, but I enjoyed it a lot.”

Ochoa won it by one stroke. That ain’t pretty but it’s enough.

Anthony Kim had a disastrous round today putting him out of contention, out of the event but not out of sorts. The young 22 year old Kim acknowledges that he has matured a bit and as such despite some really bad shots and crushing blows after he tried to rally again and again, he’s kept his temper and kept all his clubs. As he said today:

“I’m just glad I have all my clubs and I’m standing here. You know, I don’t know if I would have been able to eat dinner last year. I feel fine. It’s not the end of the world.”

In a world where bad behavior is tolerated all to often from celebrities and top sportsmen and women, it’s nice to see a young man sorting out his life and moving forward. Now that’s worthy of a newscast! Maybe even gifts are warranted. Well, maybe not.

John Daly’s golf game is considered by some to be in the toilet, but who cares?

Even by his own standards, Daly has been out of control for the first two months of the PGA Tour season. It was reported that he was a messy drunk at a tournament party the night before he withdrew from the Bob Hope.

Daly was never one to turn down some hot wings, beer and other things at Hooters. Stopping by the Hooters hospitality tent during a rain delay.

Daly was said to have the ability to “chug” beers that would make most frat boys proud.

Daly is a larger-than-life folk hero to some, which is why he continues to be a draw on tour.

You have to keep your Focus on the game.

Tiger made the following comment recently after another win (Accenture Match Play Tournament):

“If you don’t believe you can win an event,” he added, “don’t show up.”

I thought this a bit harsh for a moment but then paused to take time to consider what Tiger really meant. And I found, after a little reflection, that I agreed. The thing is we should show up believing - whether it’s for golf or any of life’s large and little challenges.

Showing up ready to win is an attitude that affects everything we do. We end up more prepared. We end up trying harder because of a simple mental outlook. We win only partly because we believed we could - we win because starting out with the premise of winning makes us do everything we can to our best. No wonder Tiger has so many trophies.

Way to go Tiger!

Funny how winning isn’t just enough. Tiger pulls off another win at the Dubai Desert Classic today and mentions to a reporter that winning by 8 strokes is “a lot less stressful”.

Duh.

I like Tiger and this comment is taken out of context a bit so I’m going to back off. But my point is that winning is winning and should be enjoyed. And beyond that, the whole point of golf is to enjoy the experience. Perhaps when we make a sport ‘professional’ we lose that enjoyment. Does it become a burden? Does it become something we start to dread - like many in the corporate world do?

Funny to think Tiger might just feel the same about his ‘job’ as many of us do about ours. And how ironic that we look at the golf themed executive gifts we got this last Christmas on our desks that we are looking fondly towards our next round as a stress reliever while Tiger is stressed when he plays.

Maybe it’s just me but it seems like some of the big names are all golfed out this year. You know who I’m talking about Phil Mikelson and Tiger Woods. Yes Phil is a family man and Tiger has that new kid to dote over. But we love watching these guys and it’s hard to accept that we won’t get as much Tiger and Phil play as we want.

OK I’m done ranting now.

If they won’t play I guess I will. The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow so I’m off for a round then.

Apparently Jason Sobel, ESPN’s golf editor, doesn’t know but will find out shortly. In an apparent gesture of goodwill or reckless abandon now that his 2008 PGA playing priviledges locked up, Roland Thatcher invited Jason to be his caddie for the Nationwide Tour Chattanooga Classic. That ought to be worth watching as a man who’s never caddied before and a little older than most caddies takes up a 50 lb bag for 18 holes for 4 days running. Go get them Jason!

Is it the business of golf or just the benefit of being a celebrity? I am, of course, referring to the rumored $100 Million deal that Tiger Woods is close to signing with Gatorade. Don’t get me wrong, good for Tiger.

It’s really that these huge deals have me thinking about in the competition to win the most tournaments, is the personal motivator any longer the glory in winning the game or is it in the huge, very lucrative contracts that are sure to come to anyone in the spotlight who is reasonably attractive and can speak clear English?

Just a question I’ll not likely see answered by Tiger or anyone else.

Yes, I know that golf is a mental game but from time to time I like to get some outside assistance in the form of golf gear that works. Lately I’ve found a great addition to my golf aids. Its a golf GPS unit. The one I like is made by an Australian company that has some specific advantages over the competition.

First this golf GPS unit is the first color screen that is truly easy to read even in bright sunlight. Secondly it comes with some golf statistics software that you keep on your PC but sync up with the GPS unit with a USB cable (included) and one touch of a button.

It’s really been the ability to easily keep the statistics that has improved my game. You see my course management skills are improving - especially on my frequently played courses. So the statistics keep getting updated and I review them and analyze how to make my game better.

So I guess a GPS unit - at least one with a statistics package is helping my mental skills when it comes to golf!

We all know that golf is a mental game. That actually makes it best to introduce your child to the game early - not later. Once your child has mastered basic motor skills around the age of 2 or 3, a small golf club set and a day with Dad at the golf course is enough to make any child eager to play.

One of the finer sets we’ve found is the Kid’s Klubs set that is a complete child’s golf toy club set ready for endless hours of play. The bright colors are very engaging and the hard plastic golf bag really takes a beating. The clubs have oversized heads that makes hitting the balls easy.

Introduce your child to the fun of the game early and he or she will love it for life.