KJ Choi is the First Man Out

With only 2 points separating Daniel Chopra and KJ Choi in Fedex Cup points, one may think that it is no big deal... But it is, especially for KJ Choi who, after the first round of playoffs for the FedEx cup, is ranked #101.

After The Barclays, only the top 100 players will advance to The Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts. This must be very disappointing for Choi as he was ranked #92 last week. Things could've been a lot different for him if not for his performance on Round 2's 18th hole at The Barclays where he shot a triple bogey. Getting a bogey or even a double bogey on that hole could've granted him a chance to play at The Deutsche Bank Championship.

I wonder what he is thinking right now...

Another Surprise Win at The Barclays

Once again, the unexpected! Tyler Heath Slocum wins The Barclays today in New Jersey. He shared the lead with Steve Stricker coming in to the 18th hole with 9-under-par. The two leaders were in a tremendous amount of pressure to avoid a playoff with a strong trio of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington who were all tied for second with 8-under-par.

On the 18th, both Stricker and Slocum drove their tee shots in to bunkers. Slocum's third shot landed 20 feet from the pin while Stricker's third shot landed 10 feet from the pin. Before both men putt for par, I believed that this tournament will lead to a 5-man playoff if not a win by Steve Stricker. Boy was I wrong (once again!). Steve Stricker, the second player with the most FedEx cup points this season missed his 10-foot putt for par and finished with a bogey on the final hole. Heath Solcum on the other hand made his 20-foot putt for par, bagging The Barclays championship title. The most impressive thing is that Solcum looked so calm and confident as he made the winning putt.

With this win, Heath Slocum's FedEx Cup points rank jumped from #124 to #3, trailing Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.

Wii: Tiger Woods 10

A few days ago, I ordered Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 from Amazon. I have been hearing good reviews about this game so I had to check it out myself and I must say, this game is great. I am not saying so because of my obvious love for golf. The game is simply awesome. The Wii MotionPlus additional sensor does a lot for the game as it enhances gameplay. Playing it, especially with a good size telly, almost feels like the real thing (as long as you play the game seriously). The Wii-mote with the MotionPlus attached, is sensitive enough to detect almost every movement of one's swing, including hooks and slices. I think that it may actually help players with their golf swing as it makes you more conscious about your swing path and hitting the ball square. One new thing about this game that I quite enjoy is the Precision Putting mode where the combination of the length of your backswing and the tempo of your downswing determines how far your ball goes. Once again, it is almost like the real thing... It's all about control.

After playing this game a few times this week, I think that it could actually be good golf-swing practice as long as I swing the Wii-mote the same way I swing my clubs in real life. See, as dorky as I am, I am not the type of golfer who practices my swings with an invisible golf club whenever I see a mirror, or a reflection of myself, or even my shadow. Believe me, I have seen golfers do this often and I am sure you have, too... Sunny and Marc are notorious for this. I think that playing this game could be my equivalent of their in-front-of-the-mirror-with-an-imaginary-golf-club-practice-swings. Will my golf swing get better with it? I don't know.

So over-all, this game is awesome... best golf game in the market today. If you are still debating if you should purchase this game or not, I say go for it. It's worth every penny, you just have to make sure you get the MotionPlus with it.

One last thing, as I have mentioned several times on this blog, I am the only female in my foursome. Playing with the boys could sometimes be frustrating, especially with boys who have been playing golf for years. My score is always a double-digit higher than them. Today, the four of us played at The Canyon Lakes Country Club in San Ramon, and as usual, I played the worst round... But virtually, when I play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with the boys, I win... if not present a challenge. Joy.

Day 2 at The Barclays

What happened to Camilo Villegas? Today, after 2 double bogeys and 3 bogeys on the first 9 holes, Spiderman withdrew from The Barclays because of a wrist injury. Apparently, he injured his left wrist early on from lifting weights and playing from the rough on the 17th hole, where he scored his second double bogey of the day, aggravated it. The question is, how serious is this injury and will it prevent him from playing at the Deutsche Bank Championship next week?

Last Wednesday, Camilo tweets, "It's the playoffs... Gotta step up the game..."

I am sure he is very disappointed about this and the same goes with his fans.

Now, let's talk about the surprise solo leader Webb Simpson. Webb who!? Where did this 24-year old come from!? Is he going to pull a Y.E. Yang? Webb is from Raleigh, NC and he just turned pro last year. Though he played a great round yesterday and was tied at 4th, he slipped under everyone's radar with his 5 under par. Today, he shot 3 under, claiming the solo spot on top of the leaderboard. The question is, can he survive two more rounds as Woods and Stricker climb the leaderboard? Will he be able to hang on to the lead or will he follow Sergio's free fall?

Ahhh... Sergio. What happened to the "surge" that everyone was talking about yesterday? Of all the surprises and unexpected events that has been going on in the world of golf the past couple of months, Sergio Garcia's story remains consistent... always an "almost-but-not-quite" moment. I honestly feel bad for him. I seriously hope that he wins a big one soon to break his curse.

Overall, it has been an exciting day today at the Liberty National Golf Club. Take a look at the top ten players leading The Barclays after round 2... Only 1 player, Steve Stricker, is on the FedEx points Top 10. With a bad weather forecast tomorrow, I can't wait to find out what Day 3 will bring.

Unboxing the Dance With Dragon Putter

Three weeks ago, I wrote an article about a birthday present I received way too early. I wasn't allowed to open it until my birthday which is still a few days from now. The Gold's Factory box concealing a limited edition Dance With Dragon putter had been sitting atop my wine bar for 3 weeks until today. I couldn't wait any longer! This afternoon, with my camera in hand at the backyard, I unboxed my new putter, documenting the event:

The putter feels good! I can't wait to use it when I play on Saturday!

CHEERS!

Understanding the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Talking to some golfers at work, I noticed that not everyone fully understands how the FedEx Playoffs work. It is quite confusing and with the recent changes, who has time to be up to date with what's going on? I will try to summarize and simplify it the best I can.

First of all, there are 4 Playoff events: The Barclays at the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, The Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Massachusetts, The BMW Championship at the Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Illinois, and The Tour Championship the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

125 players with the most FedEx Cup points will be playing at The Barclays. After the points from this event is awarded, the top 100 players will be playing at The Deutsche Bank Championship. And after that, the top 70 will proceed to Illinois for The BMW Championship. These first 3 events will award 2500 FedEx Cup points to each winner, 5 times more than the 500 points normally awarded to winners during the regular season.

All points during the regular season and the points earned during the first 3 Playoffs will be tallied, determining the top 30 players who will advance to The Tour Championship.

Going in to The Tour Championship, all points will be reset to 2500 for the leader, 2250 for the second place, 2000 for third all the way down to 210 points for the 30th place. Doing so will avoid what happened last year when Vijay Singh won the cup early on making The Tour Championship somewhat meaningless.

If this format was implemented last year, it would've been a sweeter ending for Camilo Villegas, who won both The BMW Championship and Tour Championship.

*Photo from PGA Tour

Is Winning the FedEx Cup Better than Winning a Major?

Lately, this has been the looming question amongst golf fans and professional golfers. So which is better? The FedEx cup is definitely harder to win as it is a competition that expands weeks. In the end, the golfer who plays the best golf in a longer period of time wins. But is this reason enough to make it better than winning a major? The answer is relative. It depends on the individual answering the question.

I personally think that winning a major is sweeter than winning the FedEx cup because it gives one an opportunity to be part of history dating back a century. Who wouldn't want that? To be part of a list of champions that includes great golfers in history? I guess that the bottom line is that the FedEx cup is still too new to even be on the same plane as a major tournament. Maybe things will change and we can revisit this question in a couple of decades.

Having said that, I will not ignore the other side of the coin... The reason why others may think that winning the Fedex cup is better. Paul Gyodos said, as written by Doug Ferguson in an article for The Golf Channel pretty much sums it up:

"You won't have too many fluky FedEx Cup champions...", says Gyodos, "You look at major championship trophies and see names on there that make you scratch your head. You won't see too many of those on this (The FedEx Cup) trophy."

A very good point, but not good enough for me to change my opinion... at least for the next couple of decades.

Playoffs with Tiger

The Playoffs is right around the corner. In a couple of days, golf greats will be converging in the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey for The Barclays. Last year, Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas dominated the playoffs with 2 wins each. Vijay won The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship while Camilo won the BMW Championship and The Tour Championship. The big question is will these two still dominate with the presence of Tiger Woods?

Though 2009 is a major-less year for Tiger, he still won 5 PGA Tournaments... 3 of which he won in July and August. It seems like he is just gaining his momentum and would be a serious threat to anyone in the next 4 weeks. But then again, anything could happen. With him missing the cut at the British Open and with YE Yang snagging the PGA Championship, who knows what's in store... By now, I am learning to expect the unexpected. It actually made golf a little bit more enjoyable.

PGA Tour iPhone Application Available Now

iPhone users, come and get it!

Nike Golf and the PGA Tour partnered to bring this application to iPhone using golf fans for FREE. That's right, you can download this application at Apple's App Store at no charge. The launch timing of this App is perfect, right when the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup is about to begin.

This App will cover the 2009 Playoffs for the Fedex Cup, 2009 Fall Series, All 47 events of the 2010 PGA Season, and the remainder of 2009 and 2010 Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour seasons.

The icing on top of the cake is the App will offer live video coverage of the following holes during the Playoffs:

The Barclays - Hole 16

Deutsche Bank Championship - Hole 18

BMW Chanmpionship - Hole 15

The Tour Championship - Hole 1 & 18

With live video streaming and live scoring, you can stay updated with PGA Tour coverage wherever you may be.

Ian Poulter Launches Website

Ian Poulter launched his website, ianpoulter.com, today. His website showcases his game, his life, and last but not least, IJP Design. I must say, the site was very well designed. I like how it gives an interactive feel. So when you enter the site, it will take you to the screenshot above. Those three Ians represent his game, his life, and IJP design. Click one of those guys and he will talk, welcoming you and telling you to check him out. If you wait long enough and not click on the link, Ian will look a bit antsy and say, "What are you waiting for? Come on!" or, "I hate slow play! Click in to IJP Design!"

Quite amusing!

Plush Driver Headcovers from Japan

The following post is written by my inner dork. If extreme dorkiness causes you to roll your eyes and cringe, please STOP reading now. Consider yourself warned. :)

Marc recently discovered a website that sells merchandise from Japan... Of course, being the JDM addict that I am, the first thing that I looked at were the golf stuff, it's crazy! There were so many of them! Anyway, today, while watching TV, I was browsing the site, Rakuten Ichiba, for *plush* driver headcovers. I have no intention of buying, as I am very much content with my Kuma-ku tiger which I fondly named Stanley Joseph. I just wanna see what's out there, what Japanese creativity has to offer! Here are some interesting/cool ones that I found...

Kuma-Ku of course is the coolest of them all...

Dance With Dragon Driver Headcovers in different colors! DWD is one of my favorite golf brand for accessories.... These dragon heads are tight. Only thing is, there is no yellow?

*Photo from Tourspecgolf

Before making the full switch to Japanese golf clubs, I was big on Callaway. My very first golf set was the Callaway Gems which came with a light blue stand bag. I switched to Callaway Fusions after that. This limited edition driver and fairway wood cover is cute. Too bad it's out of stock.

Whenever I browse Japanese sites for golf accessories, I always come across these two guys. Their names are Rilakkuma and Korirakkuma. I have no idea what those stand for, all I know is "Kuma" stands for "Bear"... Thanks to playing years of Tekken growing up.

Next up is Doraemon! I see a lot of Doraemon merchandise, and the thing about this little guy is that some of his expressions are just plain funny...

Any Japanese related list wont be complete without the iconic Hello Kitty. I grew up addicted to it. I remember when I was young, I had to have Hello Kitty everything. From pencils, erasers to lunch boxes. There were a lot of variations but I pick this one... not too pink... it's already plush, we don't want it too girly. Duh!

I am not sure why I picked this one. I cannot pinpoint what it is about this angry looking guy that appeals to me. Maybe coz he looks like he is about to kill his drive.

Speaking of killing drives... last but not least is the famous Ryo Ishikawa. Maybe having a piece of the bashful prince in your bag should get you some of his mojo!

That's it folks! Hope you were even just a bit entertained. Cheers!

Loose Impediment! Mammoth Tooth found on Golf Course

A 10,000-year-old tooth of a wooly mammoth was found on the grounds of the Morrison Lake Golf Club in Saranac, Michigan. Grounds keeper Patrick Walker found this 10-pounder last Tuesday. Now I am curious, so they found this tooth, is the pair lying around somewhere in there too!? And, where is the skeleton!?

Captain's Words

Solheim Cup Captain, Beth Daniel, wrote these inspiring words on the board this morning in the USA team room:

"No matter what happens, I love you guys! You all earned your right to be here. Go out, enjoy it, and make the most of this opportunity. Represent your team and country with pride. GO USA!"

I am still high from the win... wish I can afford to go to Ireland in 2 years!

*Photo courtesy of Christina Kim

Team USA wins 2009 Solheim Cup

"The cup stays here!", the crowd cheered at the Rich Harvest Farms. It was an energy-packed day at Sugar Grove, Ill. where Team USA beat Team Europe, 16-12, to win the 2009 Solheim Cup. Sunday started on an even playing field as both teams were tied at 8 points each. The Americans won 8 of the 12 singles matches today, winning the cup for the third straight time.

Vigilantly watching the Solheim Cup, 5 Americans stood out (1) Morgan Pressel for delivering the point that secured Team USA the win after defeating Anna Nordqvist on the singles match, (2) Paula Creamer for displaying leadership and delivering when it counts, (3) Captain's pick Michelle Wie for playing great golf, proving to all the skeptics that she was truly deserving to be part of the team, (4) Christina Kim for playing well and for being everyone's cheerleader, pumping the crowd up, and (5) Cristie Kerr for being a solid and steady player the team could depend on. The Golf Channel created a poll on their website asking golf fans who they think was the "Woman of the Match" from the Solheim Cup 2009. Michelle Wie dominated the poll with a whopping 73% as I write this post. She was spectacular the last few days, giving Team USA the most points at 3.5. This could be the "new beginning" we are waiting for.

It was a lost opportunity for Team Europe. They played really well and put up a good fight. Though it was expected by many that it would be a sure-win for Team USA, I don't think anybody expected that the match would be this close especially after they battled back on Day 2 with the obvious absence of superstar Annika Sorenstam.

During the closing ceremony, captain Beth Daniel said, "It's awesome, especially since it was such a hard fought battle. They had to dig deep, they really had to dig deep to win this, and I am so proud of each and every one of them."

Here are the 2009 Solheim Cup Player Records:

TEAM USA

W-L-H---POINTS--PLAYER

3-0-1------3.5--------Wie

3-1-0------3.0--------Creamer

3-1-0------3.0--------Kim

2-1-1------2.5--------Kerr

2-0-1------2.5--------Pressel

1-0-2------2.0--------Lang

2-2-0------2.0--------Lincicome

1-1-1------1.5--------Gulbis

1-2-1------1.5--------Inkster

1-2-1------1.5--------Stanford

1-3-0------1.0--------McPherson

0-3-0------0.0--------Castrale

TEAM EUROPE

W-L-H---POINTS--PLAYER

3-0-1------3.0--------Nocera

2-1-2------3.0--------Hjorth

2-2-0------2.0--------Brewerton

1-1-2------2.0--------Matthew

2-2-0------2.0--------Nordqvist

1-0-1------1.5--------Luna

1-1-1------1.5--------Moodie

1-3-0------1.0--------Alfredsson

1-2-0------1.0--------Elosegui

1-3-0------1.0--------Gustafson

1-4-0------1.0--------Petterson

0-1-1------0.5--------Davies

Team USA Takes Lead After Day 1 at Solheim Cup

Paula Creamer's 20-foot putt gave Team USA a point lead today in Sugar Grove, Ill. This point is extra special to partner Juli Inkster as it made her the highest scoring US player in its history with 17.5 points. How amazing is that!?

Random Thoughts:

- If the Solheim Cup was 2 weeks ago, I would say that there is no chance that Team Europe would win this year. But, after the PGA championship, when Y.E. Yang snagged the trophy from Tiger at the last minute, I don't think I can say that anymore.

- Who will be Europe's next Annika Sorenstam? Her absence this year weakens the team.

- What happened to Pettersen and Gustafson?

Michelle Wie Hate Brigade

When Michelle Wie was picked by Solheim Cup Captain Beth Daniel to join Team USA, I have heard and read about a lot of people revolting. Haters all over flooded message boards and news & blog comment sections with various opinion on why she should not be part of the team. The main reason why these people think so is because of her $$$ endorsements, her father's mismanagement, and her playing in the men's circuit. What do these reasons have in common? It's all in the PAST. What a lot of people don't see or refuse to see is how she is deserving to be part of Team USA because she is playing really well in her rookie year at the LPGA.

I think that today's events in Sugar Grove, is aiding Michelle Wie to come out of her shell and be herself. The most important thing is, one can tell that she is truly enjoying herself. She was having fun out there today.

"Today was the most fun I had playing golf!", Wie said, "The fans were amazing!!"

Michelle Wie is only 19-years-old, and whatever happened to her and her career years ago was obviously not her fault as she was too young to be making decisions for herself back then. Her stoicism could be the result of all the criticisms, and not her being snobby and stuck up.

To the Michelle Wie Hate Brigade, whoever and wherever you are, I hope you give her a chance to start fresh. The past is past!

Morgan Pressel Shares Solheim Cup Experience

Sugar Grove, Illinois is the place to be. In a few days, Team USA and Team Europe will be playing for the Solheim Cup. Morgan Pressel shares photos on Twitter:

Morgan Pressel: lots of goodies as always waiting for us here in chicago!! first step...golf bag!

Morgan Pressel: gift bags I made for the team :) ribbons, tattoos, bracelets, stickers, and other goodies!! :)

Natalie Gulbis: Morgan pressel made all the girls goodie bags!

Morgan Pressel: Paula and me in the team room

Tiger Woods Did NOT Choke

After what happened in Chaska, Minnesota today, the emerging question is if Tiger Woods choked. After losing the PGA championship to YE Yang, the search for the answer as to why he did not win begins.

Jay Mariotti posted an article 2 hours ago at Fanhouse with a poll asking readers if they think Tiger choked. With over 27,000 votes, majority thinks that he did not.

I feel the same way. Tiger is one of the best golfers in the history of the sport and what sets him aside from other legends is his inconsistency. When he is good, he is spectacular, when he is bad... he is just good.

Y.E. Yang Nets 91st PGA Championhip Title

What is the bigger story, Tiger Woods losing the 91st PGA Championship after a commanding 54-hole lead or Y.E. Yang winning being the first asian-born player to win a major? Yang's win will surely inspire a continent where golf is gaining popularity at lightning speed, paving the way for junior golfers in Asia.

Tiger Woods was clearly the favorite since the tournament started. After shooting a bogeyless 67 on the first round, many have predicted a sure-win for him. When things got a little shaky on the third round, defending champion Padraig Harrington posed a serious threat... not Y.E. Yang. After all, how could Yang win? First of all, he is not KJ Choi. Second, he never played alongside Tiger and it is a fact that a lot of professional players crumble when playing head to head with Tiger Woods himself. And last, "YE Yang who?"

37-year-old Yang was below everyone's radar. Who would've thought that he could give Woods the biggest upset of 2009?

During the news conference today, Tiger Woods said, "I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole. Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them."

What is also very obvious while watching this pair today was YE Yang's demeanor. He was calm the entire time. He smiles a lot even when he hits bad shots and never showed that he was in any kind of pressure the entire game. At one point, he reminded me of Tom Watson during the British Open in Turnberry.

Though I am quite disappointed, I must admit, that Tiger didn't win, I am glad that YE Yang won. He played like a true champion today.

Food for thought: The LPGA is currently dominated by Asians. Could this be the beginning of Asian dominance in the PGA Tour?

Michael Allen's Golf Bag

Lori Money, PGA Club professional yesterday tweets: Michael Allen has a flat screen TV built in his golf bag - Rodney Dangerfield style in caddyshack. He watches cartoons.

*Long Pause* Seriously? This I have to see.

I searched the web for a photo of his golf bag and found some at probagads.com. Could this be the future of golf advertisement? Though I think that this is an out-of-the box idea, I can't imagine watching a golf tournament and seeing advertisements (or cartoons) played on golfbag TV screens. I don't know with you but I for sure will easily get distracted by it. "Oooh, I wonder what's playing on Camilo Villegas' bag? Is it showcasing the new J. Lindeberg collection?; What about Geoff Ogilvy or Anna Nordqvist, are their bags showing Puma ads with information on the next Puma Open?! etc. etc."

Could this be the next Pro bag trend? Who's next after Michael Allen?

BIRTH.GOLF.DEATH

BIRTH.GOLF.DEATH is a golf label that offers unique, cutting edge golf apparel and accessories. I stumbled upon their website (www.birthgolfdeath.com) today and while browsing through their cool stuff, what really caught most of my attention are the keyboard wrist rests. One of the Four quotes that they offer is sooooo me:

"Get me to the golf course before I go crazy!"

This is exactly how I feel when I am at work. I work in finance and the stress level is so high. Sometimes, I just wanna leave work to play a round at a local course but things need to get done and deadlines need to be met. So what do I do? I look at the 2 screens in front of me (a laptop and an extended desktop monitor), stare at my wallpaper... a putting green with a lone golf ball ready for a tap in, take a deep breath and stare at the window for a few seconds.... Aaaah... such a beautiful ay outside... SNAP!!! Who am I kidding? Things need to get done... reality sinks in, I am back in my office, issues waiting to get resolved, questions need to be answered, spreadsheets need to balance, employees need to get paid, journal errors need to get fixed, paperwork and reports all over the place in dire need to jump up a notch or two in the To Do list... all should be done, and it will get done... NOT!!! Outlook calendar alert: meeting in 5 minutes in conference room! An it goes on, and on, and on....

Now, if I had that keyboard rest... "Get me to the golf course before I go crazy!", I think I'd probably go ahead and undock & pack my laptop, leave and go play golf.

Geoff Ogilvy Tweets! (?)

Last night, I was reading the Puma Golf Blog and found out that Puma Boy Geoff Ogilvy is on Twitter. I've never tweeted before (is that how it's called?) as it did not appeal to me. I thought that it was just like any other social networking sites and I am content with my facebook. Boy was I wrong. Finding out that Geoff Ogilvy is on Twitter and being a huge fan, I immediately signed up and "followed" him.

Now I get it.

Though I am still clueless with this whole Twitter thing, I am enjoying it.

Anyway, while we are talking about Geoff Ogilvy, Trendy Golf Blog posted his Puma outfits for the 3rd and 4th round of the PGA Championship...

I wish I had that luxury of having someone pick out and plan my outfits for me... not just for golf but for everything! I am one of those people who has a closet full of clothes (and shoes!) and yet have nothing to wear. I am sure this sounds familiar to a lot of ladies out there.

Sergio Bids Farewell to Hazeltine

A decade after his PGA debut, 29-year-old Sergio Garcia is still searching for his first major title. The 91st PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota was his last chance to win one before he turns 30 in January. After a promising first round of 1 under par yesterday, Sergio says goodbye to the fans in Hazeltine National Golf Club today with a very disappointing second round of 4 bogeys and 2 double bogeys. With 5 over par total after 2 rounds, he missed the cut by 1 stroke... such a sad finish.

What happened to Sergio? The kid that was once given the nickname of "El Nino" when he was playing like a superstar at 19? The kid that scared the Tiger at the 1999 PGA Championship?

The Associated Press quoted Sergio, "I've had my chances, unfortunately, I haven't taken them, but it's just a matter of keep going, keep going at it, and believing you can do it."

My question is, does he believe deep within himself that he can do it? I think that maybe, he doesn't. It is hard to believe in oneself when there is a tremendous amount of pressure. I don't blame him. It is hard enough for normal people like us, what more for someone like him? When the pressure is coming from golf fans all over the world. For the past few years, after each major tournament that came and went, people and the media talk about him not winning it, asking WHY!?

Isn't the answer obvious? Leave him alone an let him be.

One day when we all least expect it, Sergio will win his much deserved major. You'll see.

Déjà Vu at the 91st PGA Championship

Tiger and Paddy are at it again! After last week's battle at the Bridgestone Invitational, these two respectively took the 1st and 2nd spots of today's leaderboard in Hazeltine National Golf Club for the 2009 PGA Championship. Shooting 5 under with nothing but pars and birdies in the last major championship of the year... I don't think there is a sweeter way to start this tourney the way Tiger did. Paddy on the other hand redeemed himself with the same after a bogey on the first hole.

Tiger said, "I played really well today, I hit just a bunch of good shots. This round could have been really low. I missed a bunch of putts out there. So it was just a very positive start."

A very positive start indeed! Could this be what Tiger is waiting for? To finally match good friend Roger Federer's major titles at 15?

2009 PGA Championship Groupings

Here you go:

Thursday / Friday

*indicates 10th hole start

07.15 / 12.25*- DJ Trahan, Keith Dicciani, Briny Baird

07.25 / 12.35*- Carl Pettersson, Mitch Lowe, Paul Goydos

07.35 / 12.45*- Scott Verplank, Mitch Lowe, Thongchai Jaidee

07.45 / 12.55*- Rod Pampling, Anthony Wall, John Mallinger

07.55 / 13.05*- Bo Van Pelt, Nick Dougherty, Nathan Green

08.05 / 13.15*- Robert Allenby, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson

08.15 / 13.25*- Christopher Wood, JB Holmes, Richard Sterne

08.25 / 13.35*- Chad Campbell, Mathew Goggin, Peter Hanson

08.35 / 13.45*- Shaun Micheel, Michael Campbell, Mark Brooks

08.45 / 13.55*- David Smail, Michael Miles, Aaron Baddeley

08.55 / 14.05*- Brian Gay, Soren Hansen, Sean O'Hair

09.05 / 14.15*- Michael Bradley, Brian Gaffney, Michael Sim

09.15 / 14.25*- Brett Quigley, Todd Lancaster, Kevin Streelman

12.25 / 07.15*- John Merrick, Grant Sturgeon, Woody Austin

12.35 / 07.25*- Francesco Molinari, Lee Rinker, Ryuji Imada

12.45 / 07.35*- Charles Howell III, Ryan Benzal, Darren Clarke

12.55 / 07.45*- Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa, Adam Scott

13.05 / 07.55*- Miguel Angel Jimenez, Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson

13.15 / 08.05*- Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Steve Elkington

13.25 / 08.15*- Ian Poulter, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker

13.35 / 08.25*- Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink

13.45 / 08.35*- Paul Azinger, Phil Mickelson, David Toms

13.55 / 08.45*- Justin Leonard, Retief Goosen, Jeev Milkha Singh

14.05 / 08.55*- Jerry Kelly, KJ Choi, Luke Donald

14.15 / 09.05*- Ben Crane, Eric Lippert, JJ Henry

14.25 / 09.15*- Johan Edfors, Sam Arnold, Jeff Overton

07.15* / 12.25- Richard Green, Shingo Katayama, Charlie Wi

07.25* / 12.35- Prayad Marksaeng, Scott Hebert, Cameron Beckman

07.35* / 12.45- Ross Fisher, Pat Perez, Mike Small

07.45* / 12.55- Hiroyuki Fujita, Nick Watney, Paul Casey

07.55* / 13.05- Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer

08.05* / 13.15- Henrik Stenson, Kenny Perry, Stuart Appleby

08.15* / 13.25- Rory Sabbatini, Sergio Garcia, Tom Lehman

08.25* / 13.35- Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Camilo Villegas

08.35* / 13.45- Padraig Harrington, Rich Been, Tiger Woods

08.45* / 13.55- Fred Couples, Lee Westwood, Alvaro Quiros

08.55* / 14.05- Mike Weir, Boo Weekley, Zach Johnson

09.05* / 14.15- Brandt Snedeker, Robert Gaus, Anders Hansen

09.15* / 14.25- Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Roman, Matt Kuchar

12.25* / 07.15- John Rollins, Tim Weinhart, Ken Duke

12.35* / 07.25- Greg Bisconti, Brian Davis, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano

12.45* / 07.35- Will Mackenzie, Mark Sheftic, Oliver Wilson

12.55* / 07.45- Michael Allen, John Daly, Bob Tway

13.05* / 07.55- Kevin Sutherland, Colin Montgomerie, Andres Romero

13.15* / 08.05- John Senden, Kevin Na, Ryan Palmer

13.25* / 08.15- Brendan Jones, Soren Kjeldsen, Steve Marino

13.35* / 08.25- Tim Clark, Stephen Ames, Marc Turnesa

13.45* / 08.35- Mark Wilson, Charl Schwartzel, Alastair Forsyth

13.55* / 08.45- Corey Pavin, Trevor Immelman, Ben Curtis

14.05* / 08.55- Thomas Levet, YE Yang, Steve Schneiter

14.15* / 09.05- Steve Flesch, Charley Hoffman, Steve Webster

14.25* / 09.15- Chris Starkjohann, Scott McCarron, Jason Dufner

PGA Tour to Fine Tiger Woods After Winning Bridgestone

After the infamous club slamming incident at the British Open, Tiger Woods is once again in the limelight for behavioral issues. The Canadian Press reports in this article that Tiger Woods will be fined by the PGA Tour for criticizing a Rules Official during the Bridgestone Invitational last week. According to the article, Woods said that the Official informed him and Padraig Harrington that they were being timed during the 16th hole of the final round causing them to rush difficult strokes. Harrington hit a flop shot that lead him to his watery grave on this hole with a triple bogey. According to Woods, Harrington would have not made that mistake if he was able to take his time and analyze play. Quoting the Canadian Press, according to Section VI-D in the PDA Tour's player handbook, "it is an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players, or PGA Tour."

Tiger Woods is an easy target. It must be tough for him to have the media scrutinize his every move especially when we see other players do the same things, or worse, and get away with them. I guess it comes with being The Tiger Woods.

***After this story consumed the web and media, it has been reported that it is not true. The PGA Tour is not fining Tiger Woods for his criticism.***

Tiger Woods' 70th PGA Tour Win at Firestone

Tiger Woods wins the 2009 Bridgestone Invitational today shooting a 12 under par total. Three-Day leader Padraig Harrington, collapsed with a triple bogey on the par 5 16th hole finishing -8 under par total and tied for 2nd with Australian Robert Allenby. Tiger is on a roll, after winning back to back 2 weeks in a row, Buick and Bridgestone, will he go for 3 at next week's PGA Championship?

Today, Bridgestone also announced the extension of it's WGC sponsorship through 2014. This is good news after last week's announcement that Buick had terminated sponsorship after over 50 years of partnership.

iPhone Game: Tiger Woods PGA Tour by EA Sports

A month ago, I purchased the Tiger Woods PGA Tour game for my iPhone. I paid $6.99 to download the game and all I can say is IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! I find myself playing this game each down time I have. I picked a female player, named it DBL GLVR of course, and with each tournament, I feel like I am actually playing and living the moment. "If only I was this awesome!" I know it is quite shallow but the game takes me to my fantasy land where I, a double gloving geek, can conquer the green! Haha. Like a little boy with the wildest imagination, I escape reality through this game and for a few minutes... while easily shaping my golf shots on dog legs and driving 400-yards, I reign supreme amongst all present day pros. I know, it's crazy but it's totally worth it.

Dance With Dragon Putter by Gold's Factory

Earlier this week, I spent an almost perfect Monday with my mom and my adorable niece. I say almost perfect because I didn't think it would get any better but it did. When I got home, still high from my day, it took me over 20 minutes to notice what's on top of the bar. It was a Gold's Factory box... I thought my day couldn't get any better but it did, it made a perfect day more perfect with all the icing on top! The box holds a special limited edition Dance With Dragon Putter by Gold's Factory. Made in Japan and hand finished by Master Masayuki Sasaya himself, this putter is machine milled from premium forged steel.

This putter is my birthday present from Marc. Notice the PostIt on the photo above? He wrote "DO NOT OPEN" until my birthday. The PostIt didn't stop me from taking a peek... It was gorgeous! Click Here to preview the putter at TourSpecGolf.com. Marc got me the ROCKS design with a Private Stock No. 1 head. I will take actual photos when I finally open it (I don't think I can wait until the end of the month anyways). CHEERS!

Update: See unboxing photos here.

Phil Mickelson is Back at the Bridgestone Invitational

Phil Mickelson, after a six week break from the tour is back today to play in Akron, Ohio for this year's Bridgestone Invitational. Starting on the back nine, today he opened with an even par 70 at Firestone Country Club, shooting 3 birdies in the last 8 holes after a gruesome double bogey on the 11th hole and a couple other bogeys. PGA Tour News reports Lefty saying:

"I think when you get in competition, I wasn't trusting my self as much, The pins start to get tucked, and you can't miss it in certain spots, and I start kind of steering it a little bit. The last eight holes, I made a few better swings."

Lefty was terribly missed and I am glad that he is back!

After today's first round, Padraig Harrington took the lead with a 64 while defending champion Vijay Singh scored an even par 70. Tiger Woods on the other hand, after a fresh win at last week's Buick Open, is on a 6-way tie at 8th with a -2.

Fred Funk's Senior Moment

Fred Funk did not just win the 2009 US Senior Open yesterday at Carmel, Indiana, he also set a new USGA record for being the first player to shoot 20 under par total in a USGA championship. This win automatically qualifies him to play at Pebble Beach next year for the 2010 US Open.

Tiger Woods Gets His Mojo Back and Wins 2009 Buick Open

After the British Open at Turnberry, I never really expected Tiger Woods to win tournaments for a while.... I surely did not expect him to win one this soon. I thought that he somehow lost his mojo at Turnberry. I was thinking that maybe something changed in his swing or maybe he is mentally not ready to play well. This happens to all of us, I believe. I know a lot of golfers who lose their mojo and end up playing terribly until the "click" comes back. I call this the dry spell. A good example would be Jim Furyk. Jim Furyk lost something. Something that I think he is still searching for... something he is waiting for to come back. I thought that Tiger entered such phase especially after watching the oh-so-boring first round of the Buick Open. T95, Really!? I did not even bother watching the second round until Marc told me Friday night that Tiger shot a low 63. I couldn't believe it. Then it dawned on me, once again, IT IS TIGER WOODS... The King of Golf we are talking about. I should've expected it, but didn't. I should not have doubted his capability on the green. When he plays bad, he is good, when he plays good, he is PHENOMENAL!

Solheim Cup 2009 Teams

Team USA

Paula Creamer

Cristie Kerr

Angela Stanford

Nicole Castrale

Brittany Lang

Morgan Pressel

Kristy McPherson

Christina Kim

Brittany Lincicome

Natalie Gulbis

Julie Inkster*

Michelle Wie*

Team Europe

Gwladys Nocera

Tania Elosegui

Diana Luna

Laura Davies

Sophie Gustafson

Suzann Pettersen

Helen Alfredsson

Catriona Matthew

Maria Hjorth

Becky Brewerton*

Janice Moodie*

Anna Nordqvist*

*Captains' Picks

Inkster and Wie Joins the US Solheim Cup Team

Julie Inkster and Michelle Wie gets Solheim Cup Captain's Picks. The duo will be joining the rest of the US team on August 17th in Sugar Grove, Illinois. I think that US Captain Beth Daniel made an excellent decision selecting Julie Inkster and Michelle Wie to join the team. Julie Inkster will bring in experience to the very young team, this will be her 8th Solheim Cup appearance. Michelle Wie on the other hand is a good pick because aside from the obvious that she will bring more attention to the tourney, this rookie is playing solid golf this year.

Como!Come! Baby-Tail Rocks!

If you want to add some spice to your golf equipment, go ahead and purchase a como!come! putter cover, their headcover designs are fun and they make baby-tails to match.

What are Baby-Tails you ask? A baby-Tail is like a keychain that has a clip that you can attach to your putter headcover. The baby-tail can easily fit your pocket when putting so you don't end up losing your putter head cover. For those who have invested on putter head covers, the baby tail is perfect because it will keep it clean as you don't have to lay it down on the ground each time you putt (unless of course you have roomy pockets which is never the case for me). Check them out! :)