Yo Adrian, I did it!

We started Sunday morning in the middle east with a major upset and wrapped up Sunday evening with a major melt down at Torrey Pines.

Tiger Woods started the final round with a share of the lead in Abu Dhabi, but received a full blown stoning from an unlikely foe in England’s Robert Rock. The former pro shop teaching professional gave a Rocky Balboa like performance in taking down the biggest names in golf. Robert was solid as a Rock all day. Even with a wild drive on the last hole, he was able to save a bogey and get the victory by a “hair”. Not to take anything away from Rock‘s win, but I think the game of golf was the biggest winner here. Having Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy on the same leader board is just what the doctor ordered. If you can buy stock in The Masters ratings, I would do it now, because its going to blow up like DJ Pauly D’s hair. (2 hair references in 1 golf blog, must be a record!)

Hey Yo Rock! Wait for me! (Associated Press)

On the other side of the world down in So Cal, Kyle Stanley had a Jean Van de Velde like moment on the 72nd hole the Farmers Insurance Open. Stanley made a triple bogey 8 on the par 5 18th at Torrey South to fall into a tie with Brandt Snedeker, then lost on the 2nd playoff hole after 3 putting for bogey, while Snedeker had a brilliant up and down for par from over the green. Snedeker who shot a 67 (-5), one of the best rounds of the day, already had his rental car warmed and was ready to hit the road before getting the news he would have to play a little more golf. This was Brandt’s 3rd PGA Tour victory.

Brandt Snedeker (Associated Press)

Up next for the PGA Tour is the Waste Management Phoenix Open. This is always one of the most exciting tournaments of the year, due in part largely to the loudest hole in golf, the par 3 16th. The hole is completely surrounded by stadium seating and has a “big football game” like atmosphere for every tee shot and every putt. This is by far 13thGreen‘s favorite hole on tour.There is nothing else like it anywhere in golf. There will be a plethora of beers and cheers, but miss the green and the booze will turn quickly to boos!

I don’t have any predictions, but I will definetly be pulling for my boy Rickie Fowler. I mean what’s not to like about this kid. I’m not a big fan of kids looking up to celebrities and athletes as role models, but my son can look up to Rickie any day. I realize he’s still very young, but he’s wrote the book on how to behave after being thrown into super stardom. I think a manual should be written, modeled after him and is required reading for all athletes turning professional. Bottom line, he is just a good kid and we need more role models like him. Plus he’s from southern CA and bleeds orange and black, go Pokes!

Cazaam

From the Palm Desert to the Middle East Desert, Tiger Woods makes 2012 debut!

Hurricane force wind gusts weren’t enough to keep journeyman Mark Wilson from capturing his 5th PGA Tour victory on Sunday out in Palm Desert. Once again, he who gets it done on the back nine of the final round, gets the win.

Sunice Tour Pro Wilson shot a very tidy bogey free 32 (-4) on his final nine holes to go with just 1 bogey on the front for a tournament total of 264 (-24) at the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, CA. He held off several players making a charge including last weeks winner, still wielding the power stache, Johnson Wagner. This is Wilson’s 3rd win in the last 12 months. This win also vaults Wilson up the FedEx Cup points list to 2nd. With a 1st last week and a 2nd this week Wagner takes a commanding lead in the season long points race.

The PGA Tour is moving just down the road from 13thGreen Headquarters to beautiful La Jolla, CA and the legendary Torrey Pines Golf Course for the Farmers Insurance Open. This is one fine piece of property perched on the cliffs just above the Pacific Ocean. Travis Matthew ambassador and new owner the General Lee (I’m jealous), Bubba Watson is your defending champion.

There are several other great players getting their season started this week including one of my favorites, Rickie Fowler, hopefully his game will be as clean as his slick Puma gear. The 1st and 2nd rounds, starting on Thursday, will be played on both the North and South courses, with the final 2 rounds being contested on the South only. Torrey South, you may remember, hosted the 2008 United States Open won by Tiger Woods in that epic 91 hole battle with Rocco Mediate. All 4 rounds can be seen on the Golf Channel.

The Farmers should be a great tournament, as long as the weather holds up, but unfortunately for the PGA Tour, they will have to take a back seat to that other tour this week. Why is that you ask? Well, that’s because “HE” will be making his 2012 debut in the middle east at Abu Dhabi (also on the Golf Channel) on the European Tour. That’s right, the Tiger is back and he is ready to pounce on his pray. Tiger Woods doesn’t just move needle in golf, he is the needle and rightfully so. There are a lot more millionaires in the world of golf today and they owe it all to Tiger. I’m looking for a very good showing out him this week and will not be shocked in the least if he wins, not saying he’s going to win, but lets just say I wouldn’t bet against him.

That’s it for this weeks blog. Keep your comments coming and if you have any topics you would like me to tackle, let me know. Hit’em straight, but more importantly, look clean doing it!
Jeff ( @cazaam619 ) Campbell 1/23/12

This just in, the Sony Open Champion was just arrested by Honolulu police while driving a red 84’ Ferarri 308 GTS. He was charged with impersonating a police officer as well as theft. Apparently 1985 called to report their mustache was missing!

But all kidding aside, Johnson Wagner fired a very clean final round 67 (-3) for a total of 267 (-13), which was 2 shots clear of 4 players tied for 2nd. While Matt Every and Jeff Maggert, who were 54 hole co-leaders, caught a bad case of the bogey blues, Wagner played very steady with 2 bogeys and 5 birdies. When it really counted, the back 9 on Sunday, Wagner was bogey free coming home in 33 (-2). With this victory (3rd career), Thomas Magnum, I mean Johnson Wager wins a cool $990,000 plus the all important 500 FedEx Cup points, which puts him atop the season long points list and all but assures him a spot in the playoffs. Next up is the Humana Challenge (formerly The Bob Hope Classic), which starts this Thursday in La Qunita, CA. The field is strong and will include Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, who are making their 2012 season debuts. Also in this weeks lineup is the legendary Greg Norman. Johnny Vegas is the defending champion. I’m not gonna make any predictions, but I do see a lesser known player making a name for himself in the desert. All rounds can be seen on Golf Channel.

I would like to tackle a little issue which I have heard a little buzz about recently and something I have thought about for many years, The rules of golf. Why are they so complicated and why is there not a second set of rules that govern recreational golf. Who wrote this rule book, and why can’t it be a little easier to read and understand? It’s as bad as our tax code, and who really understands that. The USGA and the R&A should get together and rewrite the whole thing and it could easily be condensed down to about 10 pages. Personally though, I am more concerned about why I have to play to the same rules as the PGA Tour. The major governing bodies are fine for professional and major amateur golf, but what about us weekend duffers? We need to add 1 more organization to the powers to be of golf. Im going to call it the RGA, the Recreational Golf Association. The RGA will have its own set of rules and will govern all play other then any professional or major amateur tournament/match. All the basic rules would be the same, but would be simplified for pace of play purposes. There are a few I would change. Lets start with O.B. and lost balls, there will be no more reloading, all balls which cannot be found will be played under the same rule. Go to where you believe the ball went out of play and take a drop within 5 paces of that spot. There will be a 1 stroke penalty. Now there is one exception to this rule, if you are 100% positive and the other players in your group agree that your ball is still in play, but you just cant find it. You will be allowed after 1-2 minutes of searching to take a drop nearest the spot where you think your ball should be. There will be no penalty added to your score. Lets face it, we don’t have 30 spotters and high def cameras watching where our ball lands. Take these away from the PGA Tour and you would see an astronomical increase in lost ball penalties. The bottom line is this will speed up play and that will make everybody happier. The other major rule change I would make, which seems so obvious to me, is that all divots in the fairway are ground under repair. Look, its hard enough to hit a fairway in this game and it might only happen a few times a round. When it does, it feels so rewarding and then you walk up to your ball and see it sitting in an old divot. Seriously! I finally hit a golf shot and this is what I’m rewarded with. Well, under the new RGA rules, no need to fret. Your ball is considered to have come to rest in ground under repair. You get free relief, but we aren’t gonna go through the hoopla the way the USGA would have you handle it. I’ll make it simple. Just reach down with your thumb and index finger, lift the ball and move it just outside the back of the divot. No placing a tee, no club lengths and no cleaning the ball. In just 2 seconds your ball is back in play and you have the lie you deserved.

One last thing in closing, when approaching the first tee, please throw your ego out the window. Be realistic in how far you hit your driver and pick a tee box that will allow you to be hitting a 7 iron or less for your approach shots. What I mean by be realistic about how far you hit your driver is that more then likely you are 20-30 yards shorter then you think. So move up a tee box, play quicker, shoot better scores and make golf more enjoyable for yourself and everyone else!

Jeff ( @cazaam619 ) Campbell 1-16-12

Cool Mens Golf Clothes
Cute Ladies Golf Apparel

Steve Stricker – Hyundai Tornament of Champions 2012
(Photo: Eric Risberg / AP)

The 2012 PGA Tour season is underway and may the best man win! Steve Stricker, the highest ranked player in the field, takes the victory at The Hyundai TOC. With his superb wedge play and trusty putter, Stricker jumps out to an early lead in the FedEx Cup earning 500 points for his victory. This week the tour will do a short island hop from Maui over to Honolulu and play the 1st full field event at The Sony Open. Again, it is very tough to make predictions this early in the season, but I’m gonna go with 2009 champion Zach Johnson. He’s coming off a great showing in the Chevron World Challenge last month, finishing 2nd to that one guy, oh yeah, Tiger Woods.

In the wake of yet another major professional sports strike, golf, to me is such a breath of fresh air. Not only to play, but as a spectator sport. It’s such a pure sport, bottom line is no matter who you are or what you have accomplished as an amateur, you have to earn your way. If you play well, you make the cut, and collect a paycheck. The more money you earn, the more exemptions you receive to play in future events. Yes there is endorsement money and appearance fees, but you would have to prove yourself on the course before you are ever offered any of that money. As far as prize money goes on any professional golf tour, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you did last week, or what you did last year, if you don’t perform well, you will not be getting a paycheck that week. Tiger Woods is arguably the best athlete in his respective sport of all time, but the PGA Tour is not sending him a paycheck if he doesn’t perform well enough to make the cut. Could you imagine if Kobe Bryant or Lebron James had an off night and they would not get paid for that week?

Its not just about the money either, show me another sport where athletes call penalties on themselves. Half the time players in other sports are trying to do whatever they can to bend the rules and get an edge. Last year Webb Simpson addressed a short putt and before he tapped it in he saw it move just slightly. Nobody else saw this and there was no reason other then the honor of the game of golf to say anything. He could have very easily just tapped it in and moved on. He called in an official and explained what happened. He was assed a penalty and wound up finishing 2nd (to Bubba Watson) in that tournament. Without that penalty he would have won the tournament. By calling a penalty on himself he not only cost himself his 1st PGA Tour victory, but just under a half million dollars.

Back to these other sports and going on strike. The NFL barely got started this year and the NBA started several months late. Major League Baseball has had their share of problems in the past as well. These guys are getting a ridiculous amount of money to play a game, which I don’t have a problem with, I just want to see them play it and play it well. In today’s times of guaranteed money contracts, where is the incentive to go out give a 100%, 100% of the time. I believe we as fans should be the one’s going on strike. I know it’s never going to happen, but wouldn’t it be great to see the look on David Sterns’s face if nobody showed up to the Staples Center to watch the Lakers play. Since I am realistic and know that the fan will never strike, I have a better idea for the commissioners’ of the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Take away contracts for players all together. Each game played will have a purse. The winner of the game will split 85% of the purse and the loser will split up the remaining 15%. Would you see a better product? Think about it. Or you can just watch golf, these guys (and girls) have earned it.

Cazaam 1/10/2012

Hello 13thGreen family!

      We have a new weekly guest blog columnist, Jeff Campbell, also known as cazaamgolf. He is your average everyday golf addict. He plays a lot of golf, he watches a lot of golf, and he has a lot of opinions that he would like to share with you. We hope you enjoy what he has to say and of course comments, good or bad, are always welcome. Be sure to check back weekly for new blogs recapping the previous tournaments from the weekend and previewing upcoming events. He will also be touching on any and all current golf topics. We hope you enjoy his insight and candor.

The 2012 PGA Tour season is officially here….

       First topic on the table for today is of course, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Who’s going to be the 1st to grab those ever precious FedEx Cup points? This is a limited field event comprised of tournament winners from the 2011 season. There are some big names that did not make the trip across the pacific to Maui, but there is still a great field with some amazing talent. The tournament starts today and will finish up in primetime on Monday. All 4 rounds can be seen on the Golf Channel. It’s pretty hard to make a prediction without having seen anybody play yet, but I’m looking for a good showing from the long hitting, master tweeting, Bubba Watson. I’m sure his clothing sponsor, Travis Mathew Apparel is happy to have him on board because he is on fire. Apparently he just fired a nice little 58 at his home course in AZ. He must have his flat stick working pretty good. I don’t care when, where, or under what conditions, you shoot a 58, you must be rolling the rock and we all know, putting is what gets in done on the PGA Tour. All these guys hit the ball as good as anybody else, but you have to fill up the jar if you want that W. Obviously there will be no rookies in this weeks field, they are all looking to get there season started next week at the Sony Open also played in Hawaii.

      Last season had one of the finest rookie crops in many years. They started early with Johnny Vegas winning in Palm Springs at the Humana Challenge and was capped off by an amazing finish from Keegan Bradley winning the PGA Championship. Keegan was a pretty obvious choice for 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year with 2 victories (1 major). So who will be the next breakout star on the PGA Tour? The feel good story would definitely have to be Erik Compton. This guy has some heart, literally, he is on his 3rd one. Two heart transplants, seriously, and he’s a professional athlete! What’s our excuse? If you aren’t rooting for this guy, you don’t deserve the one beating in your chest. There are a few other names out there creating a lot of buzz, Bud Cauley and Danny Lee, to name a couple. I believe Bud Cauley will have a solid season, he has already proven his skills out on tour late last year, earning himself enough money to get his card and avoid Q School. There is a very short list of players to accomplish that feat. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are two of the names on that list. Pretty good company! Danny Lee, former US Amateur Champion, earned his card via the Nationwide Tour money list. He did win early in his career on the European Tour, but I’m personally not expecting much from him this year. I think he should definitely keep his calendar clear for next year’s Q School. My personal favorite is Jason Kokrak. He took the Nationwide Tour by storm late last year, winning twice and earning his playing privileges for the 2012 PGA Tour season. This kid has a ton of game, both mentally and physically. He hits a mile and has some very soft hands around the greens. So, you heard it here, My prediction for 2012 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is, Jason Kokrak. Back to back for Cleveland Golf.

      I would like to touch a little on Oakley Golf’s Rory Mcllroy.Is he the next great thing in the world of golf? Maybe, but I’m sure not convinced of it yet. You would think he’s already #1 in the world if you watch the Golf Channel. I think some of these analysts must be getting some kind of bonus when, I say if, he officially makes it to the top of the world golf rankings. Don’t get me wrong, Rory has a ton of talent and he will have a great career when it’s all said and done, but not only is he not the next Tiger, I’m not even sure he is the next Phil Mickelson. Rory has a lot of work to do just to catch Phil. He is good for golf, I do believe that he’s exciting and when he’s on, he can beat anyone. We all saw that at last year’s US Open, but I’m certainly not sold on his consistency. I would really like to see Rickie Fowler step up and start contending more and getting some victories. A Rickie-Rory rivalry is what golf needs. That is what’s going to get golf past the Tiger era, which by the way is far from over in my opinion.

      That brings me to my final topic. Tiger Woods! He’s Back! I don’t think there’s any question about that, at least not in my mind. There was a lot of hating going about Tiger for most of last season  but of course then the ”W” came in December it seems many are starting to change their tune a bit. That’s ok, there’s plenty of room on that band wagon. There has to be, because after this year everyone is going to be back on it. I of course have a couple of predictions for Tigers 2012 campaign. Let’s start with wins, I’ll say at least 5 and one of them will be a major. He will win a couple of awards as well. The comeback player of the year, the player of the year, and he will, for the 3rd time, be the FedEx Cup Champion. Tiger will also earn his spot on the Ryder Cup team. He will not need a captains pick, may need to save that for Phil, but I’m still a huge fan. My last prediction will be, that at this time next year the #1 player atop the world golf rankings will not be Rory Mcllroy as many experts are predicting, but will be none other than Tiger Woods! That’s right you heard it here.

      Well, that’s all I have for you this week. I hope you have enjoyed my insight and be sure to pass it along to all the golf enthusiasts in your life. Also make sure to check back next week for another award winning article (it’s very hard to type sarcasm). I am Jeff, cazaamgolf, Campbell, like the soup!

The views expressed in this guest blog represent the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or position of 13thGreen Golf. Any opinions, recommendations, statements, or other information or content presented or disseminated are those of the respective authors, who are solely responsible for their content. 13thGreen Golf is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of the information contained on the blog. 13thGreen Golf reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit blog entries that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark or copyright laws, or otherwise unacceptable.

The 2011 PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs are upon us and Webb Simpson has a solid lead going into the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Illinois.

With the steady play Webb has produced this season, wins at the Wyndham Championship and recently at the Deutsche Bank Championship, he’s going to be tough to beat. But watch out for Dustin Johnson, this guy is a machine. He is the defending BMW Champ after all and just won The Barclays to kick off the Playoff season. I cannot wait to see these twenty somethings battle it out, this should be good. With 3 wins and 4 runner ups in 2011 I think these two know how to stay in the hunt.

Not too sure if we will see another huge jump like Charley Hoffman made after playoffs began in 2010 but you never know! However, I have a feeling nobody should count out Matt Kuchar this week either. The FedEx Cup runner up last season is hungry to finish on top. He must be doing something right, he hasn’t even won this season but is still ranked 3rd in FedEx Cup points.

2011 FedEx Cup Playoffs

Well, Cog Hill should be a great test for the field being that it ranked fourth most difficult greens in regulation in 2010. Keep it on the fairways boys! I hope you all enjoy the tournament, I know we will.

Peace

Here we go… The 2011 Accenture Match Play Tournament is upon us. Once again The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain plays host to the best golfers in the world in this head to head battle.

Some exciting battles are sure to erupt.

Bill Haas should be a true test of Bubba Watson’s injured ab and Dustin Johnson faces off against current FedExCup points leader Mark Wilson. The Sam Snead bracket is looking like some fun with the aforementioned and the likes of Tiger, Camilo, Els, Paul Casey, and of course 2009 champ Geoff Ogilvy.

2010 Champion Ian Poulter

2010 Champion IJP starts things off with what is going to be a close matchup with Stewart Cink who always plays tough in match play. The Ben Hogan bracket also includes Ryder Cup stud Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Lefty, and young gun Rickie Fowler. Oh please let Rickie and Phil battle it out for either a mentorship or a passing of the torch. That would be worth the price of admission.

The winner could come from the Player or Jones brackets as well with the likes of Furyk, Rory, Westwood, Kaymer, and a battle between Adam Scott and Ben Crane. Okay Okay enough talk… time to watch. This should be good!!!

Peace

2011 Farmers Insurance Open

Well our hometown definitely provided some welcoming weather for the Tournament attendees. That’s how we do it…Sunny San Diego in January!

Day one was looking good for those who played the North course as always. With the low round of 64, Sunghoon Kang has a one stroke lead with young guns Rickie Fowler and Alex Prugh on his tail at 65. And don’t forget about the veterans…Phil Mickelson and John Daly both shot 67 and always play well at Torrey Pines. So day one was a great time.

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The name of the game in golf is control. It takes a while for golf club manufacturers to hit on something that makes the game easier, but when they do find something it catches on like wildfire.

It was not too long ago that golf grip makers introduced the fatter and softer grips. Why? Because gripping a baseball bat is easier than grabbing on to the narrow end of a pool cue. When you give your hands room by increasing the size of the grip, you make the golf grip more comfortable.

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One of the things 13thgreen.com likes to focus on is the accomplishments of the young golfers on the PGA tour. The future of the PGA tour is secure with the long list of young players that use their own style and personality to create a new atmosphere in golf. But what helps to ring in a new generation more than anything else is when young players win majors. (more…)