Golf Buzz

Bradley reveals he's still being called 'cheater'
February 26, 2013 - 3:10pm
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
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Keegan Bradley
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Keegan Bradley seems to have become the poster boy for the anchored putter-ban debate.

 

It found its way into a small part of a much bigger story on the proposed anchoring ban by USA Today's Steve Dimeglio on Tuesday afternoon, but it popped off the page.
 
Keegan Bradley, the first player to win a major championship (2011 PGA Championship) with an anchored putter, is still being called a cheater.
 
Dimeglio wrote:
 
What's happening now is Bradley, the first player to win a major title anchoring the putter at the 2011 PGA Championship (followed by anchoring wins last year from Webb Simpson in the U.S. Open and Ernie Els in the British Open), continues to be called a cheater.
 
"Commissioner Finchem and the PGA Tour have always had their players' backs, no matter how big or small the group is," Bradley said. "Two of the biggest golf organizations, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America have said that they don't agree with the USGA (and R&A). If they are really taking this comment period seriously, I think they really need to look at what's been said by both those organizations.
 
" ... When I won the PGA in 2011 with a belly putter, I did my press conference and I didn't get asked one question about it.
 
" ... I'm being called a cheater more than ever by fans, by some writers — none of your guys — and it's really tough. A lot of it's on Twitter, which is ridiculous, anyways, I know. I do read it and I shouldn't. I can't imagine how people can say that to me or to anybody out here. It's been really difficult, and I'm sick of it to be honest. I'm ready to be over it. I realize that this is going to be an issue now for the next couple years, at least. I hope the USGA thought about us players before they did this, because it's been really difficult on me and I know it's been really difficult on some other players, too."
 
" ... It's a mess. It's going to be a mess."
 
Whichever side of the fence you stand on when it comes to the debate regarding anchored putters, there's no place in the game for heckling players... especially when they're doing something perfectly legal (for now).
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
Golf Channel's Holly Sonders joins Cobra Puma Golf
February 26, 2013 - 2:56pm
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
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Holly Sonders
COBRA PUMA GOLF
Morning Drive's Holly Sonders joined the Cobra Puma Golf team on Monday.

 

Holly Sonders, a co-host of Golf Channel's popular show, "Morning Drive," is now a member of the Cobra Puma Golf team.
 
Cobra Puma officially made the announcment on Monday with this press release:
 
CARLSBAD, Calif. -- COBRA PUMA GOLF and Golf Channel On-Air Host (and avid golfer), Holly Sonders, have joined forces. Holly will use COBRA Golf equipment and wear PUMA Golf apparel, accessories and footwear on and off the course.  Holly currently appears on many programs on Golf Channel including “Morning Drive,” “School of Golf” and “Playing Lessons.” 
 
“We are so excited to be working with Holly,” commented Bob Philion, President, COBRA PUMA GOLF. “Her passion for the game and impressive skills on the course, along with her keen sense of style, make her a great addition to the COBRA PUMA GOLF team. Holly will help us reach consumers through another, exciting platform that we believe will set us apart from our competitors.” 
 
Holly played collegiate golf at Michigan State University and continues to share her passion for the game through her work on Golf Channel, participation in PGA Tour Pro-Ams and through online tournament and news updates on golfchannel.com. 
 
Holly’s new COBRA bag consists of: 
- AMP CELLTM Driver, MyFly set to 9.5° 
- AMP CELL Fairway set to 14° and 17° 
- AMP CELL Hybrid, MyFly set to 21° 
- AMP CELL Irons 
- Trusty Rusty Wedges 
 
“COBRA PUMA GOLF is a company that is doing something different in the golf industry – they’re cool, they’re fun and they deliver high-quality products,” commented Holly. “They are a company I am proud to be working with and I look forward to representing them on and off air.” 
 
The AMP CELL Driver, Fairways and Hybrids feature COBRA’s new MyFlyTM and 
SmartPad TM Technology, allowing golfers to easily adjust their clubs between 6 trajectories while keep the face angle square at address, allowing customization for their swing type, course conditions or weather conditions. The AMP CELL products also offer the next level of personalization with three women’s color options: Capri Blue, Cabaret Pink and Green Pearl (men’s options include Silver, Directoire Blue, Barbados Red and Vibrant Orange). 
 
Holly will be wearing products from PUMA Golf’s Spring / Summer 2013 Collection, featuring PUMA CELL, a system of performance benefits that enhances human performance. Inspired by nature, PUMA CELL helps you Look Better. Feel Better. Play Better. in any environment. Holly will be rocking PUMA Golf’s new Colorblock Dresses, fun and functional Golf Tech Skirts in addition to performance polos, sweaters and jackets in fun, trendy colors. Her footwear is styled to fit into her fashionable PUMA Golf wardrobe through accent colors and sleek silhouettes. Technology and fashion work together to provide maximum comfort throughout your round. 
 
The AMP CELL family of products will be available in golf retailers on February 8th, 2013. The PUMA Golf Spring Summer 2013 Collection is available at golf retailers now.
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
 
 
Ranking the 10 biggest golf personalities of all time
February 26, 2013 - 2:48pm
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Arnold Palmer
Getty Images
When it comes to listing, "biggest golf personalities of all time," if Arnold Palmer isn't on the list, it's not a list at all! Luckily, the King is prominently placed on this one.

 

There are a number of larger than life personalities that have roamed the fairways through the annals of golf history.
 
Whether it was the way they dressed, their demeanor on the course, or the way they wowed (or continue to wow) us with their respective games, some people just have, "it."
 
Mike Dudurich, a featured columnist for BleacherReport.com, got his thinking cap on and highlighted 10 of the biggest golf personalities of all time.
 
Here's what Dudurich wrote:
 
The personalities that make up professional golf are not all that dissimilar from those in any other line of work.
 
They range from outgoing to quiet, from very real to very fake and from great for the game to just a bit iffy.
 
But the game has been blessed over the years to have some great personalities, the kind that fall into the category of helping to mold the game as well as the category of continuing the greatness of the game.
 
Here’s a look at the 10 biggest golf personalities of all time.
 
Enjoy the list, which -- believe it or not -- does not include Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods. It's got to be the first golf list ever that includes the words, "biggest and all time," in the same headline but exludes Nicklaus and Woods, right?
 
You'll understand why when you read on.
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
Monty warns PGA Tour to think twice about anchor ban opposition
February 25, 2013 - 10:19pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
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Colin Montgomerie
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Colin Montgomerie was "positively aghast" at the idea that the PGA Tour might ignore the proposed anchor ban, according to PA Sport.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem provoked quite a bit of reaction on Sunday when he announced that the tour might not go along with the ban on anchored putting strokes being advocated by the USGA and R&A.

European Tour stalwart Colin Montgomerie was "positively aghast" at the idea that the PGA Tour might ignore the proposed anchor ban, according to the PA Sport newswire in England.

"The R&A and USGA have served the game of golf for a long, long time and long may that continue," Montgomerie said on Sky Sports. "This has opened up a whole new can of worms. It's a very dangerous situation we are getting ourselves into and I do hope they can sort this out very, very quickly.

"I thought, as we all did, that the rules of golf were set by the R&A and the USGA. Tim Finchem has obviously thought otherwise," he added. "Whether the European Tour think that or not has to be debated, too."

The European Tour, by the way, came out in support of the proposed ban last November, with Chief Executive George O'Grady saying that "I would urge the Tour to follow the rules as laid down by the governing bodies. The view of our leading members and our players must be listened to, but I haven't heard one of our members want to break away at the moment. They want to be connected to the game."

That's how Monty feels, too.

"I think we should go with what the R&A and USGA feel. Whether the long putter should have been banned 20 years ago or not, it should be banned now," he said. "We should abide by that. To now go against that and say 'my players aren't going to go by that,' then what happens when you come to USGA events or the British Open?

"Does that mean you have to use a different club? Does that mean other rules can change as well?," he asked. "We want to play as one under the same rules."
Cleveland 588 TT irons produce piercing trajectory
February 25, 2013 - 8:36pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
John Holmes's picture
Cleveland 588 TT iron
Courtesy of Cleveland Golf
The heads of the Cleveland 588 TT irons include a modest cavity back with an engineered undercut to improve ball speed and accuracy on off-center hits.

Of the three new sets of 588 Cleveland irons, the 588 Tour Trajectory (TT) irons are the most ambitious. Like the MT (Mid Trajectory) models, the TT irons are named after the flight pattern they produce – a lower, more piercing trajectory preferred by better players.

The 588 TT irons feature a constant clubface height throughout the set, but have a progressive face length to promote more forgiveness in the long irons and a more penetrating, controlled trajectory in the short irons. The 588 TTs also have forged clubfaces to enhance feel and ball speed.

The clubheads include a modest cavity back with an engineered undercut to improve ball speed and accuracy on off-center hits, while a multi-material iron plaque of polymer and aluminum behind the face dampens vibration at impact for a more consistent feel.

In addition, the 588 TT irons, 588 MT irons and 588 Altitude irons can be easily interchanged to customize a set with the preferred combination of ball flight, feel and forgiveness.

The standard TT set includes a 4-iron through ''D'' wedge (a D wedge is a 50-degree wedge that works both a pitching wedge and sand wedge), though a 3-iron and standard sand wedge are also available. They retail for $699.99 per set with steel shafts and $799.99 per set with graphite shafts.
Ranking the top-10 teen phenoms in golf history
February 25, 2013 - 3:53pm
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Lydia Ko
Getty Images
Lydia Ko might be an amateur player, but she's got a game that's right up there with the world's top players.

 

If you haven't heard the name, "Lydia Ko," by now, well, you need to.
 
A 15-year-old amateur golfer from New Zealand, Ko has wowed the golf world having already won three professional events, including the recent ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open. She very nearly went back-to-back, but came up just short in Australia.
 
Anyway, Ko seems ready for the big time. That's not to say a move to the professional ranks is imminent. But, she's proven she has the game to not only compete, but win.
 
Through the years, golf has seen many young phenoms come and go. Few pan out and live up to the expectations (see the likes of Ty Tryon, David Gossett and Michelle Wie [admittedly still a work in progress], among others). 
 
In some cases, though, the hyped players do actually live up to the billing -- players like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lexi Thompson and more.
 
Ben Alberstadt, a featured columnist for BleacherReport.com, put together an impressive list of golf's top-10 phenoms.
 
Here's what Alberstadt wrote:
 
With 15-year-old Lydia Ko’s brilliant performance at last week’s Women’s Australian Open fresh in the minds of the golfing public, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the best teenage phenoms in the few-hundred-year history of golf.
 
There is an unabashed bias in this list towards players who have gone on to great professional success. The inclusion of any golfers who have fizzled out on the professional level (Michelle Wie, for example) is only a product of the tremendous hype and mythmaking that surrounded their stellar play as teenagers.
 
Without further ado, then, the top 10 teen phenoms in golf history.  
 
 
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tj_auclair.
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