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MI Golf Holidays

MI Golf Holidays / Events

Events

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05

Mar
Tue

There's a chill in the long putter market

By E. Michael Johnson Just 18 months ago some manufacturers were tripling or quadrupling their fourth-quar-ter forecasts for sales of long and belly putters. That's because the demand was skyrocketing after the major success...

05

Mar
Tue

Whatever the size putter, Els still showing plenty of fire

By Dave Shedloski MIAMI -- He'd faced longer putts with more on the line, that were more consequential and lucrative, but he desperately wanted to make this 10-footer, even though it wasn't in a tournament. Heck, he wasn't even on the golf course. He was on the practice green Monday afternoon at Seminole GC, in the midst of completing his standard putting drill, with five 10-footers encircling the cup. But he'd been challenged, and he still loves a challenge. He'd made the first four and was about to pull the trigger on the fifth when a familiar voice got in his ear. "I've got $100 you don't make it," Michael Jordan said to him from behind as he stood over the ball. "Make it $150," Ernie Els said. He buried the putt. It makes sense that Els would express his opposition to the recent rule change that would prohibit a player from anchoring a club to his body during a stroke. Except Els wasn't using the belly putter with which he won the Open Championship last year. He was wielding a conventional putter, an Odyssey Black #1, that he's been giving a workout the last few weeks, though he has yet to insert it into the lineup for a tournament round. Related: The players most affected by the potential anchor ban That could change this week at Trump Doral when the WGC-Cadillac Championship begins Thursday on the Blue Course where 65 of the top players in the world have gathered for the year's second World Golf Championship event. "Yeah, you just might see it soon," Els said Tuesday at Doral, where he has won twice. "I think he putts better with the short putter," said Els' caddie, Ricci Roberts. "He's got a beautiful stroke, much better than with the long putter, much more natural. I think he thinks so, too." Still, Els has been sticking with the longer putter, and in his press conference he offered a salient observation against the ban the USGA and R&A proposed in November. "Obviously winning a major with a belly putter, you're going to have to support that cause," the Big Easy said. "When it's been allowed for such a long time, I just feel, why ban it? You had the chance to do that . . . They allow certain things, and then they want to pull back on it. There was a square groove rule, the golf ball, the big and the small golf ball, there's the driver and the sand iron from a 56 to a 60, and we can talk about hybrid clubs. All these changes have come through in the game "If a guy can't drive the ball really well, there's a driver that he can get made. If you can't hit an iron up in the air, you're going to get a hybrid made up for you. That's legal. If you're not a good chipper, you can go to 64, 62, 60, whatever degree. There used to be a rule where 56 degrees was the limit, so they changed that. The game's evolved that way." Els, 43, is still evolving, too. The four-time major champion from South Africa has added to his stable of advisers. That would be Jordan, the NBA great with whom he has become friends. Related: What to expect from Tiger & Rory on Trump's turf "I've been picking his brain a little bit," Els said. "You talk about someone who understands competition, he's about the best you can talk to. What a competitor." And he pays up, too. Els got the cash right there. "That wasn't the thing. Just making the putt with him standing there over me was good. I enjoyed that a lot," he said. Follow @DaveShedloski(Photo by Getty Images) !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

05

Mar
Tue

Golf MTRx: A different way to improve swing mechanics

By John Strege Sensors and apps that provide swing analysis are in vogue these days, but Zeroline Golf has introduced a system that differs from others. Golf MTRx does not come with a sensor....

05

Mar
Tue

A gift for Obama

By Mike Stachura When japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to Washington for a summit meet- ing with President Obama last Friday, he came bearing a golf gift. Abe handed the First Golfer...

05

Mar
Tue

The Grind: Rory's story, kissing up to The Donald, and Doral predictions

By Alex Myers Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we're already digging the Florida Swing. Weather delays have been swapped for dental drama and deserts have been replaced by watery graves with cool nicknames like the "Bear Trap." Throw Donald Trump and some South Beach nightlife into the mix this week and who knows what we're in store for. Here's a rundown of what's happened and what's to come: "Toothgate" caused quite a stir in Palm Beach. (Photo by Getty Images)WE'RE BUYING Michael Thompson. The surprise runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Open became the latest surprise winner on the PGA Tour. After three MCs and a T-78, Thompson held on during a difficult Sunday at PGA National for his first tour title. Again, on the PGA Tour, ALL these guys are good. Former U.S. Open winners. It seems like it's been awhile since Geoff Ogilvy or Lucas Glover have been near the top of a leader board, but both made some noise at the Honda Classic. Both guys also played well without beards this past weekend. Take that as a sign, guys. Please. The Golf Boys' new video. We didn't think the world needed another music video from these goofballs, but golf's boy band waited long enough and were creative enough in releasing its sequel, "2.Oh," to deliver a pleasant surprise. The big step up in production value didn't hurt, either. Now if only I had that kind of budget to create a Golf Scribes response. . . WE'RE SELLING Rory McIlroy's tooth ache. If you're going to use that as an excuse, the least you can do is not be seen eating a sandwich moments before walking off the course. No, there must be something more serious going on with the world No. 1, who at least went on to apologize for his actions. We hope "Wozzilroy" isn't donezo, but that would make more sense. Love hurts. Just ask Sergio Garcia. Fishing. Seeing images of tour pros fishing in Tim Rosaforte's piece on Jupiter, Fla., and watching Jack Nicklaus fish on a recent episode of Feherty reminded me of how awful the activity is. Guys, you are sitting on a boat (hopefully, drinking beer at least), trying to lure in a dumb creature that you may or may not eat for dinner. That being said, can you imagine how over-populated golf courses would be on a nice weekend day in the summer without this, um, sport? On second thought, fishing is AWESOME. The Golf Boys' fitness. Aren't these guys supposed to be finely-tuned, world-class athletes? To be fair, Ben Crane looks like he's been hitting the treadmill, at least, but the other guys all look like they've been on a strict junk food diet. Even Rickie Fowler, who is 24 and tweets about working out constantly, looks a little soft around the edges. The Golf Digest playing editor is lucky he doesn't have to come into the office every day. We're just entering Girl Scout cookie season. . . ON TAP The PGA Tour heads to the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral's "Blue Monster." From what I hear, the Trump-owned course has the most overpriced green fees in the country. Oops, I probably shouldn't say that since I'll be in Miami next month and looking to play golf. What I meant was I love Mr. Trump and what he's doing for the game! Related: A side-by-side look at Rory's and Tiger's careers Random tournament fact: Justin Rose is the defending champion. You might not remember that since Tiger Woods' withdrawal on the 12th hole of the final round led to NBC's most dramatic car chase footage since O.J. Simpson was driving a white Ford Bronco. WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP For the first time ever, we're going to keep the same eight golfers in the lineup that we did the week before. We've just got a feeling. Either that, or we're getting lazy. Starters -- (A-List): Graeme McDowell. Coming off a T-5 and a T-9, G-Mac has a pair of T-6s at Doral in his career. We've got a hunch he'll get that long overdue second PGA Tour win this week. (B-List): Justin Rose. The defending champ was T-4 at the Honda and was also seen sitting next to Donald Trump at a recent Miami Heat game. Wow. He'll do anything to try to get good vibes here. (B-List): Keegan Bradley. The anchor-putting poster boy finished T-8 in his first appearance in this event last year. Bradley has said fans' harsh comments about his putting method have negatively affected his game, but they didn't seem to faze him last week at PGA National, where he finished T-4. (C-List): Charl Schwartzel. The South African has finished in the top five here in two of the past three years, including a runner-up in 2010. Bench -- Tiger Woods, Louis Oosthuizen, Fredrik Jacobson and Lee Westwood. RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK -- Rory McIlroy will withdraw due to a torn headcover: 100-to-1 odds -- Donald Trump will ask to see copies of McIlroy's dental charts: 10-to-1 odds

05

Mar
Tue

Fowler and Marucci complete three-peat at Seminole

By Tim RosaforteRickie Fowler and Buddy Marucci competed their three-peat as champions of the Pro-Member at Seminole GC, winning the gross division with a better-ball 64. The pair birdied eight of their final 11 holes to beat pro Luke List and member Toby Wilt by a stroke.For Marucci, who captained Fowler on the victorious 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team, the win at Seminole was his fourth overall. In addition to his three wins this year, he also partnered with Steve Scott for a win in 2006. Scott and Marucci each own the distinction of losing to Tiger Woods in the finals of the U.S. Amateur."I know how to pick good partners," Marucci said. Related: America's 100 Greatest Golf CoursesIn the net division, the team of member David MacFarlane, who was getting 12 shots, and pro Jay Haas shot 62 for the win.Fowler is set to defend another South Florida club title next week at the Medalist GC member-guest, where he'll be playing with his agent and fellow Oklahoma State product Sam McNaughton.Follow @TimRosaforte

04

Mar
Mon

2013 Shoe Guide

Our in-depth guide to golf footwear features 20 models that offer the right mix of control and comfort.

04

Mar
Mon

McIlroy And Life At The Top

The exalted No. 1 position breeds both entitlement and resentment.

04

Mar
Mon

In interview, McIlroy admits Honda WD was a mistake

By Sam Weinman Rory McIlroy's 2013 might be marked by missteps thus far, but at least the world No. 1 is willing to recognize when he's wrong. In an interview with Golf.com, McIlroy acknowledged his abrupt withdrawal from the Honda Classic last Friday was a mistake, even if he was in pain from a wisdom tooth."It was a reactive decision," McIlroy told Golf.com's Michael Bamberger. "What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85. What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me -- it was not the right thing to do."McIlroy, who has played only five competitive rounds this season and has yet to make a cut, pulled out of the Honda while he was seven-over par through eight holes. While he said the tooth was part of the reason, he also admitted to Bamberger his swing has been problematic."I feel comfortable with all the equipment," he said of his change to Nike equipment. "The problem is, I'm bringing the club too upright on the backswing then dropping it in too much on the downswing."Tellingly, McIlroy said there's at least one area in which he could learn from his new friend Tiger Woods."He might be the best athlete ever, in terms of his ability to grind it out," McIlroy said on Sunday night. "I could have a bit more of that, if I'm honest."

04

Mar
Mon

Cobra offers Amp Cell driver in 'Season Opener Green'

By John Strege The color green is a perpetual golf industry favorite in the run-up to the Masters next month, and, accordingly, Cobra Golf is issuing a limited-edition of its new Amp Cell driver in...