Armour, Oberholser Lead at Pebble Beach

Defending champion Tommy Armour III eagled the 18th hole Friday at Spyglass Hill en route to a 1-under 71, joining Arron Oberholser in a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational.

Oberholser shot a 6-under 66 with seven birdies and one bogey — the day's low round — at Spyglass Hill. He and Armour were at 7-under 137.

John Cook, who also played at Spyglass Hill and held a three-stroke lead after an opening-round 62 at Del Monte, had a 76 and was among five players at 138.

Brock MacKenzie (68, Pebble Beach) of the Nationwide Tour, Tom Purtzer (70, Spyglass Hill) of the Champions Tour, Nicholas Thompson (69, Spyglass Hill) of the PGA Tour and mini-tour player Andrew Hoffer (69, Del Monte) joined Cook at 6 under.

Former PGA Championship titlist Rich Beem (69, Spyglass), Bryce Molder (68, Del Monte) and former club pro Brad Martin (74, Spyglass) were tied at 139.

The 37th annual tournament featured players from the four major tours as well as mini-tour players, club pros and amateurs. Amateurs were competing on teams. Champions Tour and LPGA entrants received distance advantages on tee shots.

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Golf equipment

Dubai turns sand into fantasyland

Curtis Hegge doesn't usually speak strictly in superlatives. But that was before the 30-year-old moved to Dubai seven months ago.

Now the Calgarian, who is living and working in Dubai, claims this degree of grammatical comparison is the only way to describe the mojo of Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, and his grand architectural scheme: to turn this tiny patch of parched land in the Middle East into the world's biggest and boldest tourist fantasyland, luring 15 million visitors a year by 2010.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Dubai's known oil reserves will most likely be tapped out by that year.
Hegge isn't fussed about the timing.

"It's a virtual Mecca. The scale and volume of options for tourists are mind-blowing, and the service you get, no matter where you go, makes you believe you're an Arab prince," he enthuses.

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Online Golf Lessons

Hak, 14, youngest to make Euro cut

Hong Kong teenager Jason Hak, 14, produced a birdie-birdie finish to become the youngest player to make a European tour cut yesterday, smashing Sergio Garcia's record set in 1995.

Hak drilled a 150-yard approach on to the 18th green and holed a 10-foot putt, shaking his fist in celebration as he reached the UBS Hong Kong Open's weekend rounds with two scores of 70 for level-par 140.

Hak, who is aged 14 years and 304 days, beats Garcia's record of 15 years and 46 days set at the Turespana Open Mediterrania in Valencia.

"I feel pretty happy. I played pretty well and tried my best. I think that's important," he said.

Hak, who was born in Hong Kong but lives near Orlando, Florida, said Garcia was one of his favorite players although his idol was Tiger Woods.

But the slight six-footer (1.8m) said he had not considered his chances of becoming Asia's version of the world number one.

Golf Practice

The Head

The part of the golf club components that have contact with the ball is the head. This golf club component has two basic types. The first is wood head that comes in a big piece with an angled front and a part of mass behind that surface. It can create energy to let the ball to sail far. The other is iron head and this also has an angled surface with notably less mass behind it.

The surface that makes contact with with the ball is named the striking area and in the middle of that is typically named the "sweet spot." The more angles that the striking area has the higher the ball will go. Commonly, woods are designed for low route distance and the irons are intended for high route shots that let for control and accurateness.

The Shaft

There are two types of the golf club component recognized as the shaft. The metallic looking shaft is referred to as a metal shaft while the black looking one is a graphite shaft. Generally the metal shaft is very stiff and some players suppose this allows them more control over their swing.

The graphite shaft moves more throughout the swing and this can give some golfers more distance on their shots and some also believe it gives more accuracy. There are customarily more metal shafts than graphite shafts out there but as the technology of the graphite shaft continues to improve it threatens to be the golf club component that replaces the metal shaft for good.

The Grip

The grip is located at the top of the shaft on which the golfers grasp to execute the swing. Generally, this golf club component is made of a tacky material such as rubber. Grip is the only one of golf club components that had not changed for years. However, there have been new kinds that are released recently.

Thicker grip is one that is very popular among golfers. This is because they are inclined to be softer feeling as well as easier for the golfer to grasp although they are made of rubber. Meanwhile, using old grip is not recommended because they can be slippery and make the club to escape from your hand while swing it. Nevertheless, the new sort of this golf club component can lessen that problem.

Explore more about golf club components, since there are many things you haven’t known and will be answered only if you visit the links here! These guidelines will make you smarter about golf club!

Stanford Leads Lorena Ochoa Invitational

Angela Stanford shot a 6-under 66 on Friday in the second round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational to take a two-stroke lead over LPGA Championship winner Yani Tseng.

Stanford had a 10-under 134 total on the Guadalajara Country Club course. Tseng, No. 2 in the world behind Ochoa, shot her second straight 68. Ochoa followed her opening 73 with a 71 on her home course, leaving her 10 strokes back.

Meena Lee (69) was 6 under, and Karen Stupples (71) was 5 under. Annika Sorenstam (72), leaving the tour at the end of the season, was 4 under in group that included Juli Inkster (69) and Seon Hwa Lee (72).

Golf News

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ELS EASES INTO LEAD

Ernie Els took over at the top of the leaderboard after finishing his first round at the Barclays Singapore Open this morning with two birdies in his final three holes.

The South African trailed clubhouse leader Lam Chih Bing of Singapore by one stroke with four holes to play when darkness ended play at Sentosa Golf Club yesterday evening with half of the field yet to complete their opening rounds.

The 'Big Easy' spurned an opportunity to draw level with Lam on four under when he missed a birdie putt on the 15th with his first stroke of the day.

But birdies at the 16th and 18th saw Els card a five-under-par 66 as he moved into first place in the US dollars 5million Asian Tour event.

"I'm pleased with that," said Els. "I putted nicely and hit the ball okay.

"It's not an easy course. If you miss shots, you'll pay the price. I felt comfortable with the swing and I'm pretty pleased with the start.

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Golf Swing Lessons

Golf pushes today for spot in 2016 Olympics

GENEVA | Leaders of several sports, including golf, will present their cases today to the International Olympic Committee, hoping for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games.

Besides golf, officials from baseball, softball, karate, roller sports, rugby and squash also will meet the 16-member program commission, which will deliver an influential report to the IOC's top decision- making body before the vote by IOC members in October.

The IOC will field 28 sports at the 2016 Olympics, allowing two sports to be added.

Each sport has a one-hour slot, with baseball making the first pitch in the closed-door presentations in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The case for golf, last played at the Olympics in 1904, will be presented by the International Golf Federation. It's led by PGA executive Ty Votaw and Peter Dawson of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Golf Practice

Callaway wins court order over golf ball patent

CARLSBAD, California: Callaway Golf said it has won a court order permanently halting sales of Acushnet Co.'s Titleist Pro V1 golf balls, which Callaway argued infringed on patents that it holds.

Acushnet said it will appeal the ruling, and has converted production of the golf balls so that they are outside the patents in question.

Callaway said late Monday that the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, has granted the company's request for a permanent injunction on sales of Acushnet's current line of the Titleist Pro V1 balls, effective no later than Jan. 1. At Callaway's request, professional golfers will be allowed to use the balls through the end of this year.

The court also rejected a request from Acushnet to overturn a jury's December 2007 ruling in favor of Callaway in the patent dispute.

Golf Clubs

Celebrity Golfers play the green at Shell Landing

"The more putts you make the more fun you have," joked Fred Hooter, a pro golfer from Louisiana.

His theory wouldn't help anyone win an average round of golf, but today at Shell landing, the rules were different. The pros were taking advantage of a day where the competition was low, and the scores didn't matter. It's a drastic change from a regular tour, which ended Sunday.

"Today you get to have fun. When you're playing for real it's like your office. You don't get to have any fun when you're in your office and when your'e working," said PGA pro golfer Woody Austin. "It's very rare when you get to have fun when you're working. But today its all about fun."

Private Golf Lesson

Exclusive Yellowstone Club files for bankruptcy as Wall Street's woes hit elite retreat

The Yellowstone Club, an exclusive mountain retreat for the ultra-rich, said it filed for bankruptcy Monday after failing to secure new financing — underscoring that even the elite can't escape the country's current economic troubles.

Spokesman Bill Keegan said the club filed for Chapter 11 protection in federal bankruptcy court in Montana. The move came just two months after the club announced an ambitious expansion plan through a partnership with the Arizona-based Discovery Land Company.

The gated, millionaires-only club on 13,400 acres in Montana's Gallatin Mountains boasts a private ski hill and golf course. Opened in 1999, it counts former Vice President Dan Quayle and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates among its 340 members.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the club said it had been unable to secure financing arrangements with its creditors and bondholders. It plans to reorganize its finances and emerge from bankruptcy "as soon as possible," the statement said.

Golf Academy

The concept is really a great idea, as it combines theatrical spectacle with family entertainment. Tickets are modest prices but allow unlimited game play. You can visit the Pirates Watch in Myrtle Beach in spring, summer and autumn and enjoy a much less pricey pirate-theme here than anything you will find at Disneyland or Vegas. With attractions like this, it is no wonder Myrtle Beach has earned the reputation of being the "Golfing Capital of the World!"

Golfer

Garcia targets majors after Sheshan triumph

SPAIN'S Sergio Garcia won the US$5 million HSBC Champions in Shanghai yesterday to become world No. 2 and immediately targeted a victory at one of golf's major tournaments next year.

Garcia beat Oliver Wilson with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff. The Spanish star made a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th ?? the only hole used for the playoff at Sheshan Golf Club ?? after the Englishman missed a 10-footer.

The 28-year-old Spaniard overhauled American Phil Mickelson to claim the title of the best active player in the world.

"It's awesome, it's great, it's something extra for the year," he said of claiming the second ranking behind the injured world No. 1 Tiger Woods.

"I think next goal is trying to win a major," he added. "Well, been trying for quite a while, but winning a major would be the next goal.

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Golf Lesson Tips

Top 25 Nationwide Tour Players Earn PGA TOUR Cards for 2009 Season

Twenty-five Nationwide Tour
players were awarded 2009 PGA TOUR cards last night following the
Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch.

Transitions Optical, Inc., the PGA TOUR's newest official marketing
partner, hosted a celebratory toast and post-card ceremony party to honor
the players for their achievement.

"This class adds to the Nationwide Tour's strong tradition of
transitioning players to the PGA TOUR and having a significant impact once
they get there," said Bill Calfee, Nationwide Tour President. "With
Nationwide Tour alumni amassing 237 wins on the PGA TOUR, we look forward
to seeing one in the winner's circle at the Transitions Championship next
spring," he added.

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Junior Golf Tour Attracting National and International Players to North Carolina Junior Golf Tournaments. Tarheel Jr. Golf Tour Looks Like a National Junior Golf Tour.

The Tarheel Golf Foundation's new Tarheel Junior Tour promises to be one of the most competitive in the country. With a membership list that includes multiple winners of American Junior Golf Association, AJGA, Allstars Junior Tour, Future Collegian World Tour, FCWT, National Junior Golf Club, NJGC, TGTJT, Future Masters, Callaway Junior World Championship and US Kids Golf tournaments. The tour has recieved membership requests from junior golfers from multiple states and inquiries from other countries. "We have a very stong list of members and exceptional golf courses convenently located to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Events scheduled for golf courses in Pinehurst and at several leading unversity golf courses have been drawing inquiries from international players," stated TGF Tournament Operations Director. "Our intent and focus is to create a high value junior tour for North Carolina's junior golfers. The fact that the tour may at times look like a national junior golf tour, or even an international junior golf tour, verifies our belief that some of the best junior golfers in the world are North Carolina boys and girls. The potential for global fields at some events enriches the experience for our local players."

Lessons for Golf

Stenson Takes 1-Stroke Lead At HSBC Champions

Henrik Stenson shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the HSBC Champions.

The Swede dropped a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th, putting him a shot ahead of four of the game's top players: Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, defending champion Phil Mickelson and Australia's Adam Scott.

Garcia nearly tied for the lead, but the Spaniard missed a four-foot eagle putt on the 18th. "Unfortunately, my putting stroke didn't feel as good as it's been feeling lately," Garcia said. "Maybe it's the jet-lag or something."

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Learn To Golf Now!

Golfer John Daly Drunk, Detained in N.C.

Professional golfer John Daly was placed into police custody early Sunday morning after passing out at a Hooters restaurant and refusing to be taken to the hospital, police said.

When police arrived at the restaurant, emergency medical personnel were treating Daly, who had apparently lost consciousness earlier. According to EMS, Daly refused to go to the hospital.

Police said Daly appeared extremely intoxicated and was uncooperative, repeatedly refusing to be escorted to the hospital. Hooters personnel eventual asked Daly to leave the restaurant.

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Marino joins Verplank in Disney lead

Steve Marino posted a six-under 66 on Saturday to join overnight leader Scott Verplank atop the leaderboard after the third round of the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
Verplank, who bogeyed the 18th hole for the second consecutive day, shot a three-under 69 to match Marino at 19-under 197. The pair is two shots ahead of Davis Love III (64) and Scott Sterling (66).

The Magnolia Course hosts the final two rounds after players competed with amateurs the first two days. Action was split between the Palm Course and the Magnolia Course.

This is the final PGA Tour event of the season, and players are fighting to get into the top 125 on the money list to keep their PGA Tour cards for next season.

Most of the time, a good travel vacation package spells everything out up front for the person buying the trip. That means you will know exactly what you are getting, and how much it is going to cost you. Families should be careful with all-inclusive packages that do not spell things out. Some find that this means that their travel vacation package includes a few meals, but they are on their own for others. It might not cover most taxes either. This is important to find out.

A travel vacation package does not have to be for families though. There are many out there for couples, and some that are just for honeymoons. Before you take one of these, think about what you are getting for the money. My husband and I took one of these for our honeymoon, and chose one due to the price. This was a mistake. Our honeymoon was a nightmare because of it. You will always find a great travel vacation package, but look into it before you commit your money and your time.

There are always extra expenses attached to any travel vacation package, but some deals are better than others. As long as you understand the cost of your travel vacation, plus taxes, and what expenses might still be added once you arrive, you aren’t going to be caught unaware and under prepared.

There is nothing saying that you can’t ask questions before you accept a travel vacation package. If you don’t have the time to do this, you might want to hire a travel agent to find the best deal for you and to fill you in on the details. You can tell them what you need and what you hope to spend, and they will find the best deal they can. It is also a great idea to check up on any location by looking online for reviews from other travelers. Had I done this, I could have avoided a rather rotten honeymoon.

Gate Drill can help your putting | Golf Tips

Lessons for Golf

Here is an oldie but goodie drill for putting that is making a big comeback, thanks to a company called Momentus. They make many well-made teaching aids for golfers of all abilities and ages.

This one is called the gate drill. If you don’t want to pay the $50 fee for the device itself, you can make your own for with some supplies you most likely already have.

Pictured on the left is a simple practice putting station with two golf tees and a string representing your line to the hole. On the right is the Momentus teaching aid that does the same thing.

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Gimmies take away satisfaction of making putt for birdie

Junior Golf Lessons

You're playing with your regular foursome and hit a great iron shot up onto the green with your ball landing only two feet from the hole.

What do most weekend players do next? They walk up and knock the ball away, giving themselves the putt either before or after their partner said, "that's good."

Not only did you break a rule, but you'll never know if you actually would have made the putt.

You'll forever lose the satisfaction of making a real birdie since you didn't actually putt the ball in the hole.

Golfers do this everywhere, on every course, and they're breaking the rules every time they do it.

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Golf tips from a pro

Golf Clubs

There is not much movement needed to make short putts, but we often leave the green with a sour taste because we miss one too many of them. The problem is we get so caught up in mechanics, that we forget how simple they really are.

The best way to start to make more short putts is to practice them and learn to free your mind. I'm going to give you a few drills and games that you can do to improve your putting.

* Place six tees surrounding the hole, about 2 feet from the hole. Play a putt from each spot until you can make them all in a row a couple of times. Then try to make them with your eyes closed. Listen, too. Hearing the ball going in the hole will help to build your confidence.

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Golf tips: getting the kids started

It is definitely a great idea to get your kid or kids started out in this great game early and correctly.

It teaches them so many wonderful things like self control, honor, respect, teamwork, problem solving and the list goes on, and on.

Your child does not have to be the next great thing in the game, just get them started and just watch what happens.

You do not have to go to the golf course to work on this game with kids. Keep it fun, I would suggest getting them to enjoy putting first. Any decent simulated putting green will be fine.

Once they learn some basic rules and etiquette start taking them to your nearest driving range or par-three golf course to learn the full swing and how to play the game. If you are not sure of the basics yourself, get the “summary of the rules of golf” for juniors from the USGA or PGA. Your local pro can help you. Good luck and keep it simple.

Studies have shown that children forget between 1 and 3 months of school during the vacation spots. While reading is the least effected, the most impacted subjects are spelling and math. Obviously it is important for children to have time to play and relax — to just enjoy being kids during the summer. Children should not be pushed into a high-pressure study schedule over summer vacation. But parents can take steps to slow down that loss of knowledge and erosion of skills.

First and foremost, keep children reading over the vacation spots but try to work in some nonfiction as well as fiction onto the reading list. Take a lesson from many experienced teachers and pick a few spelling words from the books children are reading. Perhaps tie test results into some special summer reward and you will have eagerly awaited spelling bees.

Writing is one skill that often erodes during vacation spots, but you can give children a writing journal and a weekly goal. They can write about whatever you think will interest your child. They can report on their baseball games, make up elaborate games, or simply report on the books they are reading. There are lots of great writing prompts out there for kids if you run dry of ideas. It does not matter so much what your child writes so long as they spend time writing so they can work on handwriting skills as well as keep in the groove of putting words on paper. One easy writing prompt is to have the child describe people, places, objects, pets and other animals, insects, and games. Lists are another easy writing prompt — favorite things, worst things, etc. Then on another day you can use those descriptions and lists to generate another writing prompt.

Math skills might seem the hardest thing to work on during summer but in fact these can be the easiest. Math does not have to come out of a book and you can easily work a lot of math lessons into those long car rides or plane trips as you go on a family vacation. Try counting car headlights (counting by 2s) as you drive or fingers in a restaurant or plane (counting by 5s). Find various shapes around the house and then trace them to create yet more complex forms. Get the kids involved in cooking and learning about measurements. Give the kids a ruler and notebook and tell them to measure various objects around the house. Empty out your pocket change and have the kids sort it and create word problems with the coins.

There are lots of activities you can do at home without the expense of special tools, workbooks or programs that will actively engage your child in learning and help keep their school skills sharp. They will not even notice they are learning because they will enjoy these projects so much.