WAM Golf

AT&T National Preview & Groups To Watch

The PGA TOUR returns to Aronimink Golf Club for the 2011 AT&T National. The tournament is in its second year at this site while the USGA prepared Congressional Country Club for the U.S. Open. Justin Rose is set to defend his title but Ryan Moore, who finished second last year at this event and last week, will be one of the big names to watch. 

(A picture I took of the 8th hole at Aronimink. A long par 3.)

Justin Rose will look to add a victory 365 days later, Rose won two tournaments in three weeks last year for his only two career wins on the PGA TOUR. He will be hoping to regain some of that magic this week at Aronimink. In 2011, Rose has made the cut in 11 of 14 events with three top 10's and five top 25's. His best finish is third place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Ryan Moore headlines the field trying to prevent Rose from defending his title. Although Moore hasn't won since 2009, he finished tied for second here last year. This season he has made the cut in 11 of 13 events and has three top 10's and three top 25's. He is coming off his best finish of the year at the Travelers where he finished second. 

Six players in the field have can potentially take over the number one spot in the FedEx Cup standings with a win this week. They are: Mark Wilson (3rd), Nick Watney (5th), K.J. Choi (8th), Gary Woodland (9th), Webb Simpson (14th) and Hunter Mahan (19th). It adds somewhat of a storyline in an event without a single player in the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings.

Three Groups to Watch at The AT&T National

3. Harrison Frazar, Keegan Bradley & Jhonattan Vegas: All three of have earned their first career victory this season. Rookies Bradley and Vegas didn't have to wait long for theirs but 13 year veteran Harrison Frazar knows they don't all come so easily. Other than his win, Frazar has not finished inside the top 10 and only has one top 25 in the five cuts he has made. 

2. Gary Woodland, Nick Watney & Dean Wilson: A win by either Woodland or Watney could give them the lead in the FedEx Cup Standings. With a "weaker" field, they should sense the opportunity and be looking to take full advantage. Woodland has a win and four top 10's in his 15 starts while Watney a win and seven top 10's in the elevn cuts he has made in 2011. 

1. K.J. Choi, Justin Rose & Adam Scott: If I were at the event, this is the group I would be watching. Justin Rose won here last year and will be looking to defend. Adam Scott is one of the best ball strikers on TOUR. The 2011 season hasn't been great to him but with a second place finish at The Masters and 6th at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, it proves he can play. If his putter gets hot, he will walk out of here the winner. K.J. Choi is the only one in this group with a win and it was The PLAYERS. He has four top 10's to go with the win including 8th at The Masters. 

Picks to Win the AT&T National:

Mac of 999 Places: Webb Simpson

WAM Golf: Geoff Ogilvy

SkyCaddie SGX Review

If PGA TOUR players have caddies to help them with yardage, why I don't I have help? I looked back at my rounds over the past couple of seasons and realized when I use a GPS (if it comes with the cart) my rounds have been lower. It makes perfect sense. 

(Hole view on the SkyCaddie SGX)

The easy part was deciding I need one, the tough part was choosing which one I would use. I'm fortunate enough to spend part of my time at the New York Golf Center where could handle the all the GPS devices and talk with the reps for each company. After talking with the people who make the SkyCaddie SGX, it was a no brainer. 

The SkyCaddie SGX

There are so many features I'm sure I have not had the chance to play with them all. The most important thing for me is ease of use and accuracy. In talking with the people at SkyGolf I found out they spend millions of dollars each year walking golf courses to make sure everything is accurate. As far as I could tell it works. On several occasions and on several courses I walked off distances from sprinkler heads or yardage markers, each time it was spot on. I've spoken with several people in the golf industry about this device (none affiliated with the SkyCaddie) and they have said it's the most accurate GPS device available. 

 It seems like the biggest request in a GPS is touch screen. The introduction of smartphones and iPads have made everyone accustomed to it. The SkyCaddie SGX is NOT a touch screen device. It has an easy to use "joystick" to help you navigate along with a few buttons to exit a screen, turn on, or get you back to the main menu. Despite using a iPhone everyday, I actually enjoyed the simplicity of it not being a touch screen. The joystick is responsive and easy to use. It has a "click" feature so after you highlight something, you can click the joystick down and it's selected, it's that easy. After handling many of the devices, I didn't find touch screen to be that great of a feature. 

(A view of the green on the SkyCaddie SGX)

Additional Information About The SkyCaddie SGX

I'll get this part out of the way, there is an annual fee. The SkyCaddie offers three (four if you count the register only option) plans for you to chose from: Birdie, Eagle, and Double Eagle. There is an annual subscription with each of these and they range from $29.95 (Birdie) to $59.95 (Double Eagle). Depending where you're using your SkyCaddie SGX, you can decide on which plan is best for you. 

The SkyCaddie SGX comes with 30,000 golf courses preloaded but it's best if you download a course to your device before you play. Downloading, or syncing, your device with a course before you play will give you more accuracy and let you know what features are available such as: IntelliGreen, Fairway Targets, HoleVue and more. The device also lets you track your score as well as stats after each hole is complete. The best part is, they keep it simple.

(Easy to use Scorecard on the SkyCaddie SGX)

Overall

The only negative thing I have heard from others about the SkyCaddie SGX is paying the annual fee. While no one wants to pay more money, when you break down the cost of your annual fee it comes out to as little as $1 per round of golf and in most cases, even less. I am happy to pay $1 per round to have accurate yardages and a device that works. 

After using the SkyCaddie SGX, I'm happy to recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a GPS device. The ease of use, accuracy and additional features make it worth the cost and something you're playing partners will thank you for... if you decide to share it with them.

Who: SkyGolf

What: The SkyCaddie SGX

Why: Accurate yardages from tee to green

Where: Anywhere Golf GPS devices are sold but I recommend New York Golf Center

Cost: $299.99

Website: SkyGolf Website

 

Fredrik Jacobson Wins The Travelers Championship

It came down to the final hole but in the end Fredrik Jacobson held on to win the Travelers Championship. Jacobson’s tournament total 20-under par was good enough to hold off Sunday charges by John Rollins, Michael Thompson, and Ryan Moore who made bogey on the 72^nd hole to finish at 19-under.

(Jacobson Won the 2011 Travelers Championship)

A wild Travelers Championship that featured rain delays, a round of 60, and an amateur holding the lead, Jacobson nearly stole the show by going bogey free the entire event. It wasn’t until the 10^th hole on Sunday that Jacobs made bogey. He played 63 consecutive holes this week without a blemish on his scorecard.

The bogey looked like it might be enough for Ryan Moore steal a win or force a playoff but despite shooting a 7-under 63, Moore made a bogey on the final hole to drop one shot back. Jacobson didn't let the bogey on ten stop him from becoming a PGA TOUR Champion. He made  two birdies and six pars on the final eight holes to win by one. The win is the first on the PGA TOUR for Jacobson to go along with three international victories. 

Travelers Championship Notables

Nineteen year old Amateur  Patrick Cantlay was the story through two rounds this week. As the top amateur at the U.S. Open, Cantlay was invited to play in the Travelers and took full advantage. A secon round of 60 gave Cantlay the lead heading into the weekend but a third round of 2-over took the college sophomore from contention. His solid play this week earned him another sponsors exemption at the next PGA TOUR stop, the AT&T National in at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Sqaure, Pennsylvania.

Defending champion Bubba Watson struggled this weekend. Watson, who has two wins in 2011, came in as one of the favorites. Up and down rounds on Thursday and Friday kept him in the middle of the pack. He finished the tournament at 9-under par, tied for 38th. 

 On of the biggest surprises this week, and this season, was Anthony Kim. Kim missed the cut and continues to struggle in 2011. He has missed the cut in 7 of 18 events this year and has only one top 10. Kim missed part of last season with a finger injury. 

The PGA TOUR heads to its temporary home in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania for the AT&T National. Justin Rose will look to defend his title before the event returns to Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. 

The Travelers Championship Preview & Groups To Watch

The U.S. Open is in the rearview mirror and as players set their sites on the British Open, they must first stop in Cromwell, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship. Bubba Watson earned his first career PGA TOUR victory here last year and it has propelled him to a great 2011 season. Will Bubbadefend his title or is it time for someone else to use the Travelers to jump start their career?

(Bubba Watson will look for his 3rd win of 2011 at The Travelers)

Bubba Watson comes into The Travelers as a the favorite despite a disappointing week at the U.S. Open where he finished tied for 63rd. He is tied with Mark Wilson for the most wins in 2011 (2) and has made the cut in 12 of 14 events. He currently ranks second in FedEx Cup points, just behind the top golfer in the world, Luke Donald. 

Chasing Watson this week will be eleven players who have won on the PGA TOUR this season and five veterans who previously have won this event. David Toms, Lucas Glover, Nick Watney, AaronBaddeley, and Martin Laird lead the group of players looking to earn their second win of the season and move up in the FedEx Cup standings and Official World Golf Rankings.

Three Groups to Watch at The Travelers Championship

#3. Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson & Hunter Mahan: It hasn't been the best year forPadraig Harrington despite making the cut in 8 of 11 events. He has three top 10's and finished tied for 45th last week at the U.S. Open but as a three time major winner, he has my respect. Zach Johnson has made 12 of 14 cuts this season but has only two top 10's. The 2007 Masters winner has four top 25's but has not looked like a winner of seven career events this season. I'm not the only one surprised that Hunter Mahan hasn't won this year. Seven top 10's in the 13 cuts made put him in contention every week but after two wins in 2010, I'm still expecting him to win in 2011. 

#2. Nick Watney, Aarron Baddley & Vijay Singh: Prior to winning the WGC-CadillacChampionship, Nick Watney didn't finish outside the top 10. Since then, he has only two top 10's and missed the cut last week at the U.S. Open. A star on TOUR with a bright future, I think he's going to turn it back around this week. Aaron Baddeley earned his first victory since 2007 at the Northern Trust Open and added a top 10 later at The PLAYERS. He missed the cut last week at the U.S. Open but has the ability to rebound and could be in contention on Sunday. The past two seasons Vijay Singh didn't finish in the top three, a shock to us all for the once top ranked golfer in the world. He seems to be rejuvenated this year and with a 2nd and 3rd place finish on the books already but has never won here. He joins Padraig Harrington with three majors, the most in this weeks field. 

#1. Bubba Watson, Brandt Snedeker & Geoff Ogilvy: Bubba Watson got his introduction above. Two wins this season and defending Travelers Champion make him the guy to watch this week. Brandt Snedeker has made 9 0f 16 cuts this season but when he makes the cut, he's on. A win at The Heritage, four top 10's and four top 25's makes him a contender any time he's playing on Saturday and Sunday. Geoff Ogilvy didn't start the season the way he wanted and it hasn't improved much since then. The one bright spot on his 2011 resume is a 4th place finish at the 2011 Masters. He has won every year on TOUR since 2008 and I still think he will pull one out this season too. 

My Experience at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club

I was fortunate enough to attend the U.S. Open at congressional this past weekend thanks to a couple of friends of mine. Those of you who follow me know the U.S. Open is my favorite tournament of the year because, in theory, it’s the most challenging for the players.

 I have been to several golf tournaments but none as prestigious as the U.S. Open. My nations championship, with the greatest players in the world, under some of the most challenging conditions, (excluding this year) makes this my favorite event of the year. Having only watched it on TV, I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived but it was a great time and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

(Rory McIlroy thanks the crowd for their appreciation at the 2011 U.S. Open)

My Top Five Moments at the 111^th U.S. Open

I could write for days about my U.S. Open experience but I decided it would make more sense to give you my top five moments from the 2011 U.S. Open.

#5. Arriving At The U.S. Open: From the moment we were dropped off by our taxi (the shuttle was sold out) at Congressional I could feel a buzz. The people ushering into the event were moving a little quicker and when I reached the gate which read “Welcome to the 111^th U.S. Open at Congressional”, I got the chills. The greatest players in the world were just beyond the gate and I couldn’t believe I was going to see the U.S. Open. It’s and image I won’t soon forget.

#4. The Fans: Although the U.S. Open is “America’s Championship”, it served as a great reminder of how global the game is. People from all over the world following their favorite golfers and shouting things to the players in their native tongue was pretty cool. A tip of the cap or a look and a smile by the player made it worth the trip for these people.

It wasn’t just people from other countries who made it special. We happened to stand next to the 6^th tee with three young guys who drove 20 hours from Minnesota to watch our championship. They had top hats on, complimented the players and were asked by everyone, including me, why wear top hats?

#3. Watching Players Hit Driver on the 6^th Tee: Want to have some fun? The next time you go to a golf tournament spend a few hours on a par 5 where the players will hit driver almost every time. At Congressional, it was the 6^th hole. Nearly every player hit driver and we were front row to see it happen. Obviously these players are talented and short game is the key to success but to watch some of the long hitters, like Dustin Johnson, hit driver was a great experience.

#2. Following Phil Mickelson: When I go to golf tournaments I usually pick a hole and watch everyone come through from the best seat in the house. On Sunday morning we ventured out to find Phil Mickelson and watch one greatest players ever play the game. We finally caught up with Phil on the 15^th tee box and watched him hit driver. After seeing him walk by, we decided to rush through the crowd and try to keep up with him. That’s when my friend Mac looked at me and said “We just became those guys”. You know the guys who run around after their favorite player. It was worth it. Phil it is approach to within 10 feet and knocked in his birdie putt as a crowd five people deep cheered. The best part is we were right there to see it all happen.

#1. The Players: The players make the championship. On Sunday we spent most of the time around the 5^th green and the 6^th tee. As every group came through someone in the crowd said something to them, most of it positive. It didn’t happen every time but most of the time the players acknowledged the fans with a simple tip of the cap, a smile or a wave. They didn’t need to do it’s great to see the players show their appreciation for the fans coming out and cheering them on.

I could go on about the history that was made by Rory McIlory at the 111^th U.S. Open and how special it was but regardless of the outcome; the U.S. Open should go on every golfers list of things to do.