On Par - All about golf in Australia

A search across twitter.com this morning shows that there are plenty of golfers in the twitterverse. Plenty of  #usopen conversation including the following tweets:

• woods chokin’ and weir on fire , GO []*[] GO #usopen
• Golf legend Tiger Woods is expected to become the world’s first billionaire athlete. #usopen
• Oh Wow Canada Mike Wier ties course record 64 while Tiger implodes 74 but Phil in the mix with NY behind him! USOPEN update!
• I’m rooting for this guy (DJ Trahan) who is putting with his driver because he bent his putter. #USOPEN (Lost in translation)
  
• Ricky Barnes tied for the lead at the #usopen! (Nice sweat stains on the ugly Ryan Moore hat, Rick! Better choice tomorrow, eh?)
• http://twitpic.com/7uotj – #mickelson finds a tough lie on 10. Lefty is at -3 #usopen
• this isnt the #usopen. scores are way too low.
• #USOpen the PGA decided to make the hole locations so easy on Thurs because of rain & it allowed for course records and low scores on Friday
• Phil is so awesome at golf. Seriously. He is making a huge rally back from his double bogey. #usopen
• Mike Weir posts a 64 in 1st round of the #usopen. He leads at -6, giving NY fans another Lefty to cheer for.
• #USOPEN Mike Weir leading 2nd round, adam scott best placed aussie 5 shots behind
  

Of the twitterers to follow, official tournament news and updates include:

• @usopengolf – Official US Open twitter, tweeting news and scores, also updates (including twitpics) on three players from ‘inside the ropes’ according to vote

• @pgatour – Official PGA Tour twitter, provides score updates and happenings from PGA tournaments

There dont seem to be a lot of PGA players tweeting, however here are four, that I know of.  Their tweets can provide an interesting insight to the world of a tournament player.  Stewart Cink has the most followers and Long John Daly is the most active, John also responds to a lot of @replies.

• @StewartCink – Stewart Cink 362,914 followers, 747 updates
  Recent: After a grind day out at Bethpage, it was good to watch some of Happy Gilmore back at the room tonight. Think I got some ideas.

• @PGA_JohnDaly – John Daly 11,898, 2,050
  Recent: serious practicin goin on today—gotta run & get in right mind frame—twitter ya’ll later on!

• @StuartAppleby – Stuart Appleby 2866, 28
  Recent: My pools drier then BethPage right now. Wetter then an otters pocket. Poor spectators will be in slop by the end of tomorrow.
  

• @harringtongolf – Padraig Harrington 712, 19
  Recent: +6 today, better conditions but struggled on greens and didn’t recover well after making mistakes. This is the US Open, anything can happen!
• @doogsta, Mike Hauser 209, 1325  (Ok thats me, and with a handicap of 15, i am no PGA tour professional)
  Recent: Blogged about: hacked out of matchplay in 1st round http://tinyurl.com/nm29wq

Played the first round of the Herald Sun Match Play v Steve at Heidleberg GC.  Steve had a home track advantage, being the local member.  Have won through to the second round over the last few years, so hoping for a good first up round.  Off to a slow start, lacked intencity, avg skills, much like the hawks of 2009.   Off the tee, and long game was OK, but really suffered on the greens and a couple of stupid shots.   Was 3 down before I knew it.

Steve was complaining of poor recent form (who doesnt)  but was hitting the shots when it counted, and matched the pars that I did manage.  Managed to scrape back a couple of holes, but crucially lost a hole midway through the backnine that i should have won, and then stupidly hit hybrid off tee knowing it would hook (sure enough it did).  Without playing a lot of bad golf, I was suddenly 5 down with 5 to play.  Scorched a drive, then an 8 iron close, sank the birdie putt to bring it back to 4 down.  A glimmer of hope, then knocked a 5 iron onto the par 3 15th.  Steve also hit the green, halved the hole, game over.   Lost 4 and 3

Herald Sun Matchplay – Results
(Mental Note: Avoid playing members on their own tracks!)
2009

• 1st Round – Loss 4 & 3 (Heidleberg GC)

2008

• 1st Round – Won 19th (Growling Frog GC)
• 2nd Round – Lost 3 & 1 (Yarra Valley CC)

2007

• 1st Round – Won 3 & 2 (Waterford Valley GC)
• 2nd Round – Lost 1 down (Latrobe GC)

2006

• 1st Round – Win 2 & 1 (Growling Frog GC)
• 2nd Round – Loss 6 & 5 (Heidleberg GC)

Carts for sale
Sick of traipsing around the course with the clapped out pullcart with the wonky wheel, why not grab your own electric golf cart! Looks like a golf course has gone under and has a stack of carts to sell. These carts would be gauranteed to have been fanged over curbs, jumped into bunkers, slid around corners and rammed into the back of other carts,partners, fences, trees and clubhouses. http://www.graysonline.com/Sale.aspx?id=52832

John Daly Twitterer
I am following John Daly on twitter (@PGA_JohnDaly).  Interesting to see the insights from the big fella as he struggles with the wind and cold of the Irish Open, or his favourite pizza.   John also noted that he has his own restaurant too.  Looks like the meals are BIG, and probably not on any Weightwatchers diets. http://www.johndalysrestaurantandbar.com And John, the website is a bit average, let me know if you want to update it!

Im also on twitter, follow me at @doogsta.

After a couple of practice rounds with McFindlay, headed to the first tee at Bethpage Black to try and qualify for the Virtual US Open.  With the best 208 rounds to go through to the final, this was going to be tough.  Though after failing to even par a hole until the 6th, I was in trouble.  On the 18th tee, the dreams were shot, +18, couldnt even play to my real handicap!  Bogeyed the last for an 89 and then went to the leaderboard in hope that there were many more hacks out there.  Alas, the leader carded a 64 and the cut is currently 76.  Im placed 2,311th!

Want to try your luck?  Head to www.wgt.com.

The 2009 US Open will be played on the Bethpage Black course, venue for the 2002 Open won by none other than Tiger Woods.   The US Open has teamed up with the World Golf Tour, an online golf game, for the Virtual US Open.  Excellent graphics and gameplay for an online game, check it out at http://usga.usopen.com/2009/virtualopen/ 

John Daly isnt playing the Players Championship this weekend, he is over in Italy on the Euro Tour.  So being in the land of designer fashion labels, is he wearing Armani, Gucci or Prada?  Im not sure these are Italian designer label trousers.

Short but deadly, the 17th at Sawgrass eats thousands of balls each year
German Alex Cejka leads the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass after 36 holes.  Cejka is two shots up on ‘he of the funky pink trousers’ Ian Poulter.  Allenby is top Australian, six shots off the pace, Tiger is a further shot back.  Adam Scott a previous winner, missed the cut by a shot.

After a work presentation in Rutherglen the night before, Nige and I decided to play an early round at Corowa Golf Club before the drive back down to Melbourne.  Corowa is close to Rutherglen providing a perfect combination of a fine golf layout with some very fine wineries and local produce.  The course has 27 holes, 10 through 27 is the old course which we played, a further nine 1 through 9, is more recent.

Started with a cracking drive down the middle, thanks to a comment from Nige earlier that my hands looked a long way forward at address.  Moved hands back and ‘bang’ the driver was working again.  We played a handicap matchplay, with me on 15 and Nige 20.  Played well early, nailing the drives and setting up the approaches.  Short game was OK and went out in a 6 over 42, Nige birdied the 9th to close the gap to 1, then parred the next two holes and it was game on!

The driver kept going on the back nine, but a few poor club selections, and less than good approaches caused two poor holes.  Missed a makeable putt on 17 to go one up, which took us to the 18th (par 3) all square.  I pulled the shot left but found the green, a LONG way home.  Nige went into the bunker, recovered well.  My long putt went long, 3 putted for bogey, Nige same, Draw.  A great round.  Finished 42, 45 for an 87, played to handicap.

early nine holes at yarra bend


Originally uploaded by Doogsta

16th Hole at Kingston Links

Early morning golf today at Kingston Links (Rowville in South East Melbourne).  Forecast was foreboding with a high of 14c, strong winds, rain, storms etc forecast.  But Rob and I are golfers, so weren’t going to let that stand in our way of a walk around the course hitting that dimpled ball.  We teed off at 7:20am, and whilst it was cold and windy, the dark grey clouds werent raining on us…yet.

We were playing for the traditional Ashes trophy, Rob (18) and Mike (15) both started well, halving the first few holes before Rob went a hole in front on the 9th.  Decided to press on to the backnine with the weather holding, Mike getting a lead before Rob fought back and once again, we went to the final hole, a tough par 3, all square.  I hooked the crap out of my hybrid, thankfully getting a drop from GUR, Rob went into a greenside bunker.  My chip fell short, then short chip went close and tap-in bogey.  Rob played a great sand shot, then sunk the putt for a win.  Well played McFindlay, next time we need a day with less than gale force winds!

Whilst the game wasnt the same form as Canberra two weeks ago, the irons were still well hit, even the short game within 100m was OK, apart from some lazy shots.  What is a serious issue at the moment is the Driver, 3 wood and Hybrid.  Some serious re-engineering is required here so I can get off the tee and onto some fairway!