WHO IS KEVIN STREELMAN?

What a break! He was the last alternate for the Buick Invitational. He waited on the practice green on Thursday, wondering if he would get to play. He made a few practice strokes, reached down to pick up his ball. As he straightened up here’s what happened in his own words.

" Boom! He was right there in front of me." Yup, it was Tiger. "I was kind of awestruck for a second, and I said, 'Wow, I guess I am on the PGA Tour.' It was pretty cool."

Kevin says he was too scared to introduce himself. Well, obviously his clubs made the introduction for him on Friday. Saturday will bring the two together for 16 holes.

But how did he get into the tourney? Well, the 29 year old from Wheaton, Illinois had less than five minutes to get to the first tee when Mathew Goggin withdrew. He went out and shot 67 on the North and then a solid 69 on the South to put himself into contention in just his seventh PGA Tour start. What a deal!

Here’s a guy who just got his PGA card by safely working his way through the December 2007 Q School obstacle course. That’s a story in itself.

Up ‘til now he ranked 1,114th in the world, Should be an exciting weekend.

by
Marion

John Daly --- The Lion in Winter

This is the year John Daly needs his fans more than ever before. The Lion says he is making a serious effort to get through the rough. And, he is seeking advice from Butch Harmon.

Butch told him he needs to come to his place in Las Vegas rather than out on the course. So John made the effort to go. But I am afraid it's going to be a bit hard for him to adhere to Butch's rigid requirements. Butch has the reputation of number one Coach and he doesn't need to accept every golfer who wants his services. He wants to work with John so that's good. But John will have to follow his guidelines.

John wrecked a rib last April with a resultant shoulder problem that hasn't resolved. At any time, the shoulder can go out and they have to pop it back in. He had to withdraw from the Bob Hope because of it. If he can get his body into shape and cut back on some of the causes of his obesity, maybe he can get back into competition. But he will be 42 in 2008, so it will take a lot of self control. Let's keep our fingers crossed for him.

Having lost his card, he will need to depend on invitations and exemptions. Having lost some sponsors, the invitations may be fewer than in past years. Fortunately, he is exempt for life in the PGA Championship and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, up to age 65 in the British Open and up through 2009 in the Buick Invitational.

He has my prayer support and I'm hoping to see him make a come back.

Marion

About Dancin' Dogg Golf

I just gotta tell you about this__________

A guy has just created this neat shot making simulator. He calls it Dancin' Dogg! The images that conjures up in my mind are just hilarious. But this thing is taking the market by storm. Golf guys and gals are going crazy over it.

It's the first of its kind. It is designed to improve your game while it provides you with world-class golf simulation and swing analysis. That has to be really cool.

Dancin' Dogg lets you hit all kinds of shots from different distances and you can even do fades and draws. You get world class instructors and you can play some of the top courses in the world using the EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf game.

Anyhow, just click on this video and watch the action.

The Dogg oughta improve your game...

Marion

TARGET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - 2007

Well, the Tiger did it again! After a 10 week layoff, he roared back for another W. Did anyone expect the layoff to make a difference?

To quote Colin Montgomerie, “If he took a bloody year off, it wouldn't help. Never mind 10 weeks.”

At the final golf tournament of the year Sunday, he closed with a 4-under 68 to match the tournament record at the Target World Challenge and set a record for the largest margin of victory by seven shots over runner up and Masters Champion Zack Johnson.

Johnson closed with a 68, but the only challenge came from Jim Furyk.

Jim Furyk put the pressure on Tiger for two days straight and almost caught him on the front nine Sunday. Tiger had made some mistakes and was now sitting only 2 up.

On ten, Furyk hit a wedge with no spin to about 4 feet above the flag. Woods hit a wedge that spun back 12 feet below the cup where he made birdie. Jim's birdie putt slid by the cup and rolled 4 feet by. Unbelievably, his par putt missed and the Tiger was back to a 4 shot lead.

Tiger later remarked, "Jimmy put a ton of heat on me on the front nine," But the whole tournament switched on the 10th. That was a big two-shot swing there."

But the par 3 15th ended Jim's surge. On Saturday, he had been 3 back from the lead when his 6-iron off the tee found the water for a double bogey. On Sunday, Tiger pulled out his 6-iron and landed nicely on the green. Jim had his 5-iron in his hand, but after Tiger's shot, Jim put the 5 in the bag and took out his six-iron. That's when I scrunched down on the couch and moaned, “Good grief Jim! That will probably put you into the water again.” It did! Another double...

Jim lost his momentum and Zach Johnson gained his. Zach put his putt in the hole for birdie at 18 to ensure his second place finish at 15 under.

Woods finished at 22-under 266, tying the tournament record first set by Davis Love III in 2000. He earned $1.35 million, which he will donate to his Tiger Woods Foundation.

Johnson earned $840,000 for second. and Furyk closed with a 71 finishing third and earning $570,000.

From the start, none of the players expressed doubt as to the outcome of the tourney. At the end there was only one other topic of conversation --- Did Rory Sabbatini make it safely to Hawaii? At the end of Saturday, Rory was 28 shots back. He was nowhere to be found on Sunday. He had withdrawn for “personal reasons.” When angry players demanded an explanation, Rory's agent said he had shin splints. Players complained and Tiger said he is going to get to the bottom of it. Rory's pay check for last place is $170,000.

What do you think? Will he be invited back next year?

So ends the 2007 season. See you at the Mercedes Benz on January 3rd...

Let's Talk about Butch Harmon...

Every golfer and every golfing fan is familiar with Butch Harmon, Phil’s new swing coach and Tiger’s previous coach.

Butch has an amazing ability to watch a shot and see about “20 things at once”. He says his head is like a computer. He sees the grip, ball position, alignment, swing path, clubface angles, and arm angles. In those moments, he can diagnose immediately the cause of a bad result. But just as important, he can explain it to the player in terms the player can understand. And, he has an uncanny knack of being able to show the player, in a very simple way, how to correct the problem.

Some have raised their eyebrows at the fact that Tiger paid Butch only $50,000/year. Doesn't seem like much, but his net worth has grown a big, big bunch from the association. There were obviously other valuable benefits. Here's a pic of Butch visiting with Tiger and Hank Haney (Tiger's current coach) on the practice range:

Butch doesn't charge his tour players anything. He says he charges only his travel expenses, based on how much time he spends with them at a tournament. He says that they all know he is on the range from "sunup to sundown" and if they need him, they have his cell number.

He tells them, if they have a good season, they can write him a check at the end of the year,"or not." Adam Scott writes the biggest checks and has been with Butch since he was a teenager. Other players, instead of money, give him very nice perks ... such things like expensive hours on their private jets.

I understand the Coach charges $600/hour to students at his school, so he's living quite well these days. And has, the past four years, been voted again the Number One Coach. David Ledbetter was voted number 2. I have read that Ledbetter charges $10,000/day. Another source says it’s $10,000/half-a-day. I have tried but am unable to verify David’s fees. If anyone knows, please post it here

Butch says there is a "pecking order" and that he let Phil know that Scotty comes first. But you can be sure that Phil will get plenty of attention. Their main objective is straightening out Mickelson’s driving , through better lower-body control and a tighter swing. Have you noticed? Phil's backswing was shortened immediately, and he seems to have better control. It also appears that he is working on "patience". No fancy shots in the backstretch when he beat Tiger at Deustche Bank. What an exciting round that was! For Phil fans and Tiger fans alike!

Phil says the driver is the main goal and that's why he went to Butch. Phil explains, "He's led two players to No. 1 in the world, and they both were great drivers of the ball." And Butch remarks, "I like Phil ... I think he's the only guy who can catch Tiger now."

Butch jokes that he led 2 players to Number 1 and both of them fired him – Greg Norman and, of course, Tiger. Well, he has two more players now … Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson. What do you think? Will history repeat??

by
Marion Walther

Golf Ball Hunt


One fine day, Jim and Bob are out golfing. Jim slices his ball deep into a wooded ravine. He grabs his 8-iron and proceeds down the embankment into the ravine in search of his ball.

The brush is quite thick, but Jim searches diligently and suddenly he spots something shiny. As he gets closer, he realizes that the shiny object is in fact an 8-iron in the hands of a skeleton lying near an old golf ball.

Jim calls out to his golfing partner in an agitated voice, "Hey Bob, come here, I got trouble down here."

Bob comes running over to the edge of the ravine and calls out, "What's the matter Jim?"

Jim shouts back, "Throw me my 7-iron! You can't get out of here with an 8-iron."