Author Archives: C. Baker

Waste Management’s Unique Donation

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The sponsor for the Phoenix Open is the Waste Management company.  Most of us know them because we see the logo on the garbage truck that picks up our trash.  They are taking their logo and making it part of a unique donation to the The First Tee — a non-profit organization that uses golf to educate youth and promote life-values like integrity and respect.

Waste Management has taken its logo (the WM) and made a 120 foot high, eight-ton logo floating in the lake on the 18th hole.  It is made up of 140,000 recycled golf balls collected from water hazards on golf courses.  If that is not unique enough for you, the golf balls will be donated to The First Tee of Arizona to be used in their golf programs.

This is just one of many recycling initiatives implemented by Waste Management at the Phoenix Open. Below is a video highlighting the Zero Waste Challenge.  Watch the video and at the one minute mark you will see the floating logo.

Birdies for the Brave – A Joining Forces Community Challenge Finalist

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One thing that the golf world does well is charity work via sponsors donating to charities, players supporting charities, and players creating charities.  Birdies for the Brave supports a number of “military outreach programs” providing help to soldiers and their families.

In 2003 Phil Mickelson, and his wife Amy, started Birdies for the Brave. The basic premise was that for every birdie or eagle Phil made during a tournament money would be donated to two charities. Phil was on top of his game in 2003 therefore $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle was a great way to raise money for the designated charities (Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Homes For Our Troops.)

In 2006, Birdies for the Brave became an official PGA tour charity.  Today, a number of players participate supporting a variety of military charities; and new fund-raising events have been developed to encourage local golf clubs to support the charity.  According to the PGA, Birdies for the Brave has “raised more than $6.5 million for military-homefront charities.”

On February 2nd, The White House announced the 20 finalists for the Joining Forces Community Challenge. This is the initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to encourage support of our troops.   Birdies for the Brave was one of 20 finalists!  There were hundreds of nominations so I was pleased to see them listed.

The great thing is that you can go and vote for your favorite charity. The “winners” will be announced in March. The website is easy to navigate.  You do have to sign-up to vote (but it takes just a few minutes). And, you can vote daily for your favorite cause.

I voted for Birdies for the Brave but there are a number of other great charities to vote for at the Joining Forces website.

Fantasy Golf: Phoenix Open and Qatar Masters

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Once again I have to pick four players in both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.  This time it is for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.  I thought I would be nice and give the sponsor names.  Does anyone really care? Yes, sponsors do.  Actually, sponsors are important but that is a topic for another day.  On to my predictions…

Picks for the Waste Management Phoenix Open

(1) Web Simpson — I had him as a pick for Sony and he didn’t do as well as I had hoped but I am giving him another chance.  Why, because he is talented.  He is ranked 6th in the world, 2nd in the USA, and last year in Phoenix he was in the top 10.

(2) Brandt Snedeker — He did well last week so I am keeping him on my roster.

(3) D. A. Points — This was a tough pick because he and Bud Cauley are in the same group and both did well last week. I went with Points because he tied for 8th last week and Cauley tied for 13th.

(4) Harris English — Like, Bud Cauley, English is a rookie.  I did well with picking a rookie last week so I am going with one again.  English has played in three tournaments and made all three cuts; so I am hoping to minimize the number of my picks that miss the cut.

Picks for Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

(1) Graeme McDowell — His nickname is G-Mac and I watched him win the US Open in 2010 so I know a bit about him.  I debated between G-Mac and Sergio Garcia because they both played well last week. In fact, they both got holes-in-one on the 12th hole in Abu Dhabi.  I went with G-Mac because he is ranked 5th in the European rankings (Sergio is ranked 6th).

(2) Francesco Molinari – Won in Dubai in 2010 so I thought he was a good guess.

(3) Felipe Aguilar — This is my “what the heck” pick this week.

(4) David Drysdale — He came in 3rd in the Joburg Open last month so I’m hoping for another good showing. However, this is another big guess for me.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my picks do well this week.

The Mardi Gras Hole of Golf

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There are 19 days left until Mardi Gras in New Orleans and only one day left until you can watch coverage of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale.  It is famous for the 16th hole which is the “loudest hole in golf.”  To me, it has the atmosphere of Mardi Gras.

The hole is a “stadium” setup which means it is surrounded by grandstands and the gallery is full of loud, rowdy, beer drinking fans.  It is the only hole in golf where etiquette is out the window.  Fans will actually boo a player if he misses a put.  In this case, words cannot do it justice.  So here are a few videos of what takes place in the stadium.

(1) The 16th Hole has its own PGA video. Watch closely and you’ll see Tiger’s hole-in-one.

(3) Rickie Fowler throwing hats into the crowd (reminds me of tossing Mardi Gras beads.)

If you have been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans you know it is one big party.  I went to college in New Orleans and watching the 16th hole “party” reminds me of Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday.  And, that is why I think the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is the Mardi Gras Hole of Golf.

Yani Tseng Best Swing in Golf

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One of my favorite shows to watch on the Golf Channel is Morning Drive. I found it one morning when I was channel surfing because I was tired of the “same old, same old” on the morning network shows.

The show has a lot of guests from the golf world and last week Annika Sorenstam and Hank Haney were on the show.  When asked who had the best golf swing, I expected Haney to mention a male golfer but to my surprise he said Yani Tseng.  I think Annika was pleasantly surprised because she had a big smile on her face and quickly agreed with Haney.

What stuck with me was why Annika thinks Yani Tseng has the best swing.  It is that the swing is “repeatable under pressure.”  Any golfer can relate to that statement.  Sometimes you listen to golf experts talk about the swing and it is all about swing plain, club head speed, the grip, clearing your hips, etc. and you quickly realize how much goes into a great swing. It can be overwhelming to have all that swirling around in your head.

As an amateur golfer there is nothing more frustrating than starting off the round feeling great because you are swinging well which results in decent shots; then suddenly you hit a bad shot and you can’t figure out what just changed in your swing.  And even though there is nothing big at stake (like a career) you start to feel “under pressure” to fix it.  And often times it is that self-inflicted pressure that makes it even worse.  At that point, golf really becomes a “head game” and you go from feeling great to awful in just a few shots.

I think it is great that Yani Tseng has the ability to repeat her amazing swing under pressure.  For me, I’m just happy when I can repeat my decent swing for a full round of golf.  Of course, then the next thing to worry about is putting.

Fantasy Golf Results – Farmers Insurance and Abu Dhabi HSBC

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I did much better with my fantasy golf picks this week.  In fact the winner for the Farmers Insurance Open was Brandt Snedeker, my pick for group two.  But his win was not the big news.  The big story was the melt down of Kyle Stanley who lost to Snedeker in a playoff.

Kyle Stanley had a three shot lead and on the final hole could shoot a seven (or two over par) and still win. It should have been a “piece of cake” but his shot into the green rolled into the water and that was the beginning of the end.  He shot an eight — unbelievable!  I get eights (or as we call it in golf, a “snowman”) on my scorecard. Pros rarely get eights. The best way to describe it is that it is like watching a kicker missing a field goal that would win the game.  Stanley’s fate was all on him and in the end his miss forced a playoff which Snedeker won.

As much as I am happy that my pick won this week’s tournament, it’s hard not to feel bad for Stanley.  Here are how my picks did overall this week:

Farmers Open: Brandt Snedeker won, D. A. Points T8 (-10), Bud Cauley T13 (-9), and Phil Mickelson missed the cut.

Abu Dhabi HSBC: Rory McIlroy came in second, Darren Clarke, Branden Grace, and Colin Montgomerie all missed the cut.

My final thoughts this week are about Rory McIlroy.  He actually could have been the winner but on Friday he brushed sand off the fringe of the 9th hole (just off the putting green) which resulted in a two-stroke penalty. He lost by one stroke so if he had not had the penalty, he would have won. The rule is that you can move “loose impediments” but “sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.” So McIlroy could brush the sand that was on the green but not on the fringe.   McIlroy said he knew the rule but just wasn’t thinking. That’s a tough penalty for a lapse in concentration; but that’s golf.

Sang-Moon Bae is not a Luxury Resort

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When I say the name Sang-Moon Bae I think of a luxury resort.  In my mind, I picture myself on a beach, lounging in a chair, sipping a drink with an umbrella, and staring at the ocean.  But it is not the name of a resort.  It is the name of a PGA Player.  Sang-Moon Bae is a rookie on the PGA tour.

Given I don’t follow the Asia tour, it doesn’t surprise me that I don’t know about him.  He is from South Korea, has been a pro golfer since 2004 and according the World Golf Rankings he is 34 in the world and ranked 3 in Asia.

Today, I saw him playing in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open. I tuned into the telecast just as he missed a putt and was very upset.  Turns out it was his third bogey after posting a double bogey on the first hole.  Basically he dropped 5 strokes in the first four holes. It was not looking good.  But he regrouped and shot 5 birdies overall and he ended his round at even par; and for the tournament, stands at twelve under par (tied for fourth.)

I don’t think he will win because the leader is at 18 under par.  But now that I have seen him play, I think I will pay a bit more attention to the rookie with the great name.

Big Names Miss Big this Week in Golf

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The big news this Friday evening is not who the leaders are at the two major golf events going into the weekend but the big names that missed the cut — Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson.

Martin Kaymer missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Open. This is shocking because he is ranked #4 in the world and has won the Abu Dhabi HSBC three times in the last four years.  Many of the “golf experts” predicted he would win. Boy, am I glad I did not select him as a fantasy golf pick.

The big shock for me was Phil Mickelson.  I knew he was struggling and unfortunately had a sinking feeling when he shot a 77 on Thursday.  In his post round interview, Mickelson called his round on Thursday “pathetic.”  That’s what I like about “Lefty” — not shy about calling it like it is (good or bad).

One thing the pros always talk about is how important it is to be focused on the course. According to a San Diego Union-Tribune one of Mickelson’s daughters had a “health scare” last week.  To his credit, in the interview I watched, he did not say anything about his daughter.  He just said “Yesterday’s round was shocking to me just because my expectations were so high because I knew I was playing well.”

I will always be a big fan of Phil Mickelson and cheer for him. Hopefully he will find his game again because viewing weekend golf coverage just isn’t the same when “Lefty” is not playing.

Fantasy Golf: Farmers Insurance and Abu Dhabi HSBC

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This week two events are on the radar.  Frankly, I’m not sure what the criteria is for the Golf Channel Fantasy Game to have two events but it might be because the top ranked players in the world are playing in Abu Dhabi.

Starting with the PGA tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open — My Picks are:

(1) Phil Mickelson — Yes, I know he did poorly last week but I’m hoping for a big recovery.  The event is at Tory Pines and “Lefty” has won it three times, had 7 top 10’s in 22 starts, and was second last year. Not to mention the fact he lives near by so he should have home field advantage. I will admit, if he has a poor showing, I’m taking him off my roster for the rest of the spring.

(2) Brandt Snedeker — He has had 3 top 10s in 5 starts at the Farmers and did well last week at Humana finishing tied for eighth.

(3) D. A. Points — He has 2 top 10s at Tory Pines and tied for sixth at the Sony this year.

(4) Bud Cauley — He is my “what the heck” pick this week.  He is a rookie but a lot of people are talking about him so that is why I picked him.

Now for the European tour — The Abu Dhabi HSBC.  This is really an exciting event to watch on TV because the top three golfers in the world (Luck Donald, Lee Westwood, and Rory McIlroy, respectively) are all playing; and so is Tiger Woods.  It made my pick a tough call for group one:

(1) Rory McIlroy — He is young and has an amazing swing. He also won the US Open last year after falling apart at the Masters.  He is playing in the first two rounds with Tiger and Luke Donald and I don’t think he will be intimidated.

(2) Darren Clarke — An older player with a good record. I saw an interview with him and he said he has lost weight and stopped drinking so I am thinking that might help his game. Or not.

(3) Branden Grace — He won the first two events of the 2012 European Tour so that is why I picked him.

(4) Colin Montgomerie — Another older player with a good record. He is my “”what the heck pick” this week.

Well, in all truthfulness, other than McIlroy the other European players are all really “what the heck” picks since I don’t really follow that tour.

Golf Boys – Not Your Father’s Golf Professionals

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Most people think of golf as an “old boys” sport and there is some truth to that view if you only look at the demographics which indicate a lot of middle-aged and older men play golf.  However, if you do follow golf you know times are changing. There is a new breed of golf professional who sometimes wield social media as well as they do a golf club.

Watching various interviews, you can tell the younger golf professionals (or “young guns”) are very respectful of the traditions of golf, are in awe of golf legends, and want to be part of golf history.  But they are also part of the online generation and some of their off-course antics are anything but traditional. The best way to show you that these golfer’s are not your father’s professionals is with the video of the Golf Boys starring Ben Crane along with Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, and  Rickie Fowler.  The video is “Oh, oh, oh” by the Golf Boys.

The video came out last year and was sponsored by Farmer’s Insurance (during the Farmers Insurance Open).  Not only did Farmer’s Insurance promote the video but they also tied it to charity by stating that they would donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views. Now, I’m not sure if there was a time frame for the viewing/donation but the number of views to date (January 25, 2012) on YouTube is well over 2.8 million.

So why write about the Golf Boys video today?  Well, this week is the 2012 Farmer’s Insurance Open and a new video was released.  This time it is just Ben Crane in a video titled “The Lost Love.”  What is also interesting is that the YouTube caption states “For every 100,000 views, Farmers will donate $1000 to charity on behalf of Ben Crane up to $5000.”  Interesting to see a limit set. My guess is either Farmers got caught off guard last year with the success of Golf Boys or a corporate attorney reviewed the YouTube caption this year. To be honest, not sure they have much to worry about because the new video is not as good as the Golf Boys.

Bring back the Golf Boys in 2013!