Currently, there are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea. Alot of the Korean players feel as though they are being targeted but Galloway said the LPGA is a “global tour and is not targeting any specific player or country.”

Tournament Director, Kate Peters of the LPGA State Farm Classic says, “This is an American Tour, it is important for sponsors to be able to interact with players and have a positive experience.”

I know that if i were to go to France, i would study enough of their language to be able to communicate, or Italy or Peru. Not saying you need to be like a pro english teacher or Italian teacher but know enough. I think it shows you have respect for others languages and want to communicate. Not only that but it gives you another language to speak!

My final thought on this topic…break out the books and get learning!

Vijay Singh won The Barclays in a playoff coming back from an eight-shot deficit after the first round. Singh shot a first-round 70, putting him at T25 and eight strokes back of Hunter Mahan. This ties the largest comeback for Vijay in his career. In his victory at the the 2004 Shell Houston Open, Vijay was 2 over after 18 holes, eight shots back of first-round leader Rod Pampling.

As luck would have it, Sergio Garcia didn’t win The Barclays for the third time in his career. But he approached that playoff with Kevin Sutherland and the eventual champ, Vijay Singh, with the mixture of determination and gracious good humor that marked his youth and endeared the Spaniard to fans worldwide.

When Garcia made a 25-footer for birdie on the first extra hole, he pumped both fists in the air, turned toward the CBS broadcast tower, tapped his chest over his heart and blew a kiss to his European Ryder Cup Captain Nick Faldo. And when Singh answered with his own birdie putt from 24, Garcia grinned, saluted by raising his fist and then high-fived the big Fijian.

Garcia closed with a 70 that included a stellar chip from the gnarly rough beside the 17th green in regulation that produced a 5-inch tap-in to get back into the tie with Sutherland at 8 under that Singh would join later. But it was his putter that kept Garcia in the game — and the man who entered the week ranked 173rd in putting average led the field in that category and tied for second in putts per round and also moved 10 spots up the standings to No. 2 behind Singh with 104,375 points entering this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship.

I must say, i am disappointed that Padraig Harrington did not make the cut. I was enjoying following him.

However, he was still a bit fuzzy on the retooled FedEx Cup points picture on the eve of The Barclays, the PGA Tour playoff opener at Ridgewood Country Club. He didn’t need great sight to see that A.W. Tillinghast-designed Ridgewood is a long and demanding layout at 7,319 yards and a par of 71. The tree-lined course’s three par 5s measure 588, 626 and 594 yards and there are four par 4s over 465 yards. The event is at Ridgewood after 41 seasons at Westchester Country Club. Steve Stricker won the playoff opener last year at Westchester, making birdie on four of the last five holes to beat K.J. Choi by two strokes. Next year, the tournament will shift to Liberty National in Jersey City.
With top-seeded Tiger Woods sidelined by a knee injury, Perry is effectively the leader with 99,500 points. Phil Mickelson is second at 99,250, followed by British Open and PGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington at 99,000. Lee Janzen, the last of the 144 qualifiers, has 92,070 points - only 7,430 behind Perry. Last year in the inaugural playoffs, the gap between No. 1 and No. 144 was 15,300 points. The winner Sunday will get 11,000 points - 2,000 more than a year ago - and US$1.26 million from the $7 million purse. Calgary’s Stephen Ames (No. 30), Mike Weir (No. 43) of Bright’s Grove, Ont., and Jon Mills (No. 137) of Oshawa, Ont., are all in the field. The top 120 players after The Barclays will be eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Mass. The field will then be cut to 70 for the BMW Championship in St. Louis and to 30 for the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

 Bob Tway withdrew Wednesday to caddie for son Kevin at the U.S. Amateur. Kevin Tway, a freshman at Oklahoma State, won his first-round match Wednesday at Pinehurst. … Ridgewood also was the site of the 1935 Ryder Cup, 1974 U.S. Amateur (Jerry Pate), 1990 U.S. Senior Open (Lee Trevino) and 2001 Senior PGA (Tom Watson).

Carl Pettersson was one imperfect hole from leading the full final two rounds of the Wyndham Championship. It was that brief slip-up that propelled the Swede to victory in his adopted hometown. Pettersson won his local tournament for his first PGA Tour victory in two years, shooting a 2-under 68 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory at Sedgefield Country Club. Irked by a bogey on the 11th hole that temporarily dropped him into second place, Pettersson responded with three birdies during the four-hole stretch that followed to finish at 21-under 259 and earn $918,000.

Scott McCarron briefly led midway through the final round before fading into second with a 68. Rich Beem’s second straight 63 left him four strokes off the lead, with J.J. Henry (62) and rookie Martin Laird (63) another shot behind him. Pettersson made his move immediately after slipping out of the lead for the first time since Friday, when his tournament-record 61 in Round 2 shot him up the leaderboard. He began the back nine with consecutive bogeys, falling one stroke back to 19 under when he missed an 8-foot par putt on the 11th. McCarron gave the stroke back on the 12th, missing a 13-foot birdie putt and lipping out a 4-foot par attempt during just his second bogey.Pettersson birdied the 13th for a one-stroke lead, then went back up by two shots with a birdie on the par-5 15th — the easiest hole on the course for everyone but him, after two bogeys and a par on it. This time it was McCarron’s turn for trouble; he sent his second shot into the sand, recovered and lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt.

 Personally, i think Tiger is acting like a BRAT! I understand that it sucks not being able to defend the title and not being able to add another one to your belt but if you respect the game and your fellow players–don’t you think you should be more supportive? Instead of being a whiner, how about sucking it up and showing a little more support to the other players out in the field.

Woods added that he watched only highlights of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which he has won six times. He also discussed the Brett Favre situation and said when it’s time for him to retire, he won’t have any problem putting the clubs away and leaving them there.

Harrington’s win at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., was his third major championship and his second of the season. He won his second British Open championship in July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

By winning two major championships this season, Harrington and Masters Champion Trevor Immelman form one-half of the elite foursome. Invitations will be extended to the top two finishers in the Major Champions Point List — Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen. Reigning U.S. Open Champion Tiger Woods will not be playing for the rest of the season due to knee surgery.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is a 36-hole event broadcast by TNT to an audience of 89 million U.S. homes along with an international audience from more than 100 countries in a prime-time telecast.The PGA Grand Slam of Golf purse is $1.35 million, with the winner receiving $600,000; second place $300,000; third place $250,000; and fourth place $200,000.

PGA Grand Slam Week begins Monday, Oct. 13, with the Champions Clinic and Pro-Am. The Champions Clinic features the major Champions demonstrating various golf skills and insight on how they execute their shots.Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 14-15, are the competition days, where the limited gallery will experience the major Champions up close, as “inside-the-fairway” access will be enjoyed by all spectators.

I would love to see Phil take this one home- how about you?

The automatic berths were earned as follows: 1. Phil Mickelson; No. 2 Stewart Cink; 3. Kenny Perry; No. 4 Jim Furyk; 5. Anthony Kim; No. 6 Justin Leonard; No. 7. Curtis; No. 8. Boo Weekley. The final four to complete the 12-player squad are up to Azinger. He will announce his four captain’s selections to complete the U.S. squad on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in a 10 a.m. press conference at the Radisson Martinique in New York City.

With the eight automatic bids, Azinger has an eclectic mix of Ryder Cup veterans and rookies. Mickelson and Furyk bring in the experience with 11 Ryder Cup appearances between them. Cink has played in the last three, Perry was on the team in 2004 and Leonard has been on two squads, including the miracle 1999 team that was the last U.S. team to win. Kim, Curtis and Weekley are all Ryder Cup rookies.

Although Sorenstam rolled in a 10-foot birdie for her final putt in a major to end with a 4-under 68, she was nowhere near finishing with a victory. The 37-year-old Swede, who will quit tournament golf at the end of the year to get married, start a family and focus on her business and other golf interests, tied for 24th at 6-under 282. Hours after Sorenstam walked up the 18th at the Ricoh Women’s British Open to a standing ovation and closed her final major with a birdie, Ji-Yai Shin won the last major of the year by three strokes after a final round 6-under 66 on Sunday.

Shin, a 20-year-old South Korean whose 21 previous victories were all in her homeland or Japan, maintained Asia’s recent domination of the majors on the LPGA Tour. In capturing her first major with an 18-under score of 270, she led an Asian sweep of the top five places. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, winner of the LPGA Championship earlier this year, was second with a 66 and a 15-under total of 273, while Korea’s Eun Hee Ji (67) and Japanese third-round leader Yuri Fudoh (71) tied for third on 14 under. Japan’s Ai Miyazato (70) was fifth at 13-under 275, and 13 of the top 20 were from Asia.

Lorena Ochoa was left behind, too. The Mexican threatened the lead early in her final round but wound up tied for seventh with an 11-under 277 after a 69. She also acknowledges the Asian threat.

As for the rest of the feild,Prammanasudh twice was tied with Inkster at 7 under but each time she drew even she followed with bogeys at Nos. 15 and 17. At one stage, Sorenstam was 3 over after bogeys at three of the first six holes. She finally birdied the ninth, picked up more shots after the turn, but is still seven strokes behind the leader. Ochoa birdied the first two holes and was 5 under after 15. But two bogeys toward the end of her round left her at 69.
Inbee Park, the Women’s U.S. Open champion, shot a 74. She dropped a shot at the opening hole and had double bogeys at Nos. 5 and 6 to reach the turn at 4-over 40.

Who is Bruce Vaughan?
 • 17 Champions Tour events last season (best finish was 2nd place at Dick’s Sporting Goods)
 • Finished 44th on money list in 1st season on Tour in 2007 (earned him exemption for 2008 season)
 • Two Nationwide Tour wins (’94 Pensacola Classic, ‘94 Permian Basin Open)
 • Best finish this season: T-5th, at Dick’s Sporting Goods (July)
 • PGA Tour Career: 34 starts, 15 cuts made ($77,561 in career earnings)
 • Never finished higher than 22nd on PGA Tour (T-22nd at ‘95 Texas Open)
 • Played on the Southern Africa Tour in 1996 with 22 Top-25 finishes

Cook squandered a three-stroke lead after 10 holes at Royal Troon but still went to the 72nd leading Vaughan by one. Cook sent his tee shot right into the rough and then played his third shot well short of the green. He decided to putt, but left it 15 feet short for a bogey to finish with an even-par 71 and a 6-under 278 total.Vaughan made a par for a 70 that forced the Americans back to No. 18 to begin the playoff, the championship’s third in four years. Vaughan pitched to the center of the green and sank his 20-footer. When Cook missed his putt from 12 feet, the former firefighter from Hutchinson, Kansas, won his first tournament on the senior or regular PGA Tour. Vaughan also earned his biggest paycheck, $312,258. The victory gets Vaughan, who has had six operations on his left knee, into the field for next year’s British Open at Turnberry.

Eduardo Romero finished third after failing to make the playoff by missing an 8-foot putt at the last hole. He had a 70 to finish at 5-under 279, one shot ahead of Bernhard Langer (68). Greg Norman also shot a 68 for a share of fifth place with Gene Jones (68) and three-time champion Tom Watson (70), all at 2-under 282.

Greg Norman nearly became the oldest winner of a regular major last week at the British Open. He maintained that form at Troon, even though he now considers himself a part-time golfer because of his various business interests and recent marriage to tennis great Chris Evert.Starting at 1-over and seven shots off the lead, Norman birdied Nos. 2-3 and reached the turn in 32, 4 under for the day. When he rolled in a 15-foot birdie at the 14th he was 4 under for the tournament and three off the lead.

Results for the RBC Canadian Open
Chez Reavie, proudly sporting an Arizona Diamondbacks logo on his light blue shirt, won the national championship Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 1-under 70 in near-perfect conditions for a three-stroke victory over Billy Mayfair. Reavie relies on finesse rather than power. The short-hitter was on the mark in the wire-to-wire win at rain-softened Glen Abbey, hitting 44 of 56 fairways and 54 of 72 greens in regulation. The accurate play was a big factor, with the players allowed to use preferred lies in the fairways all four days. Playing for the sixth straight week, Reavie finished at 17-under 267. He earned $900,000 and spots in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship the next two weeks along with the 2009 Masters. After entering the week with career earnings of $746,414 in 27 PGA Tour starts and 52 Nationwide Tour events, he was amazed when told that he had made $900,000. Sean O’Hair (68) and Steve Marino (70) were 13 under, and Canadian star Mike Weir (69) was another stroke back along with Nicholas Thompson (69) and Scott McCarron (71).

Laura Diaz teed off before 8:00 a.m. and took the clubhouse lead with a 5-under 67. the 33-year-old American  dominated the back nine, birdieing five of the last eight holes. It was the first time Diaz had shot under 70 in the opening round in 17 tournaments this season. A four-time Solheim Cup player, she has two wins on the LPGA Tour, both in 2002 when she climbed as high as seven in the women’s golf rankings. Diaz was joined at 5 under by fellow Americans Juli Inkster and Angela Stanford, Meena Lee of South Korea and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen.

South Koreans, In-kyung Kim and Kim Young were another shot back along with Amy Yang, while defending champion Natalie Gulbis — who played with Ochoa Thursday — led a group of seven at 3 under.

Annika Sorenstam played Friday, who i personally want to see win, with the status of crowd favorite in what is her final competitive trip to Europe, which concludes with the Ricoh Women’s British Open next week. She will retire at the end of the season. The 2000 and 2002 Evian champion played with Helen Alfredsson and Catrin Nilsmark, an all-Swedish trio of former winners, but had four bogeys and finished with a 71, six shots off the lead.

For instance, what about The British Open,with its brutal winds and dynamic playing conditions, made for compelling viewing .I was plenty pleased to see Padraig Harrington defend his title. And Greg Norman’s run at the claret jug may have fallen short,but it was still thrilling to watch. And if that weren’t enough, the LPGA Tour was in action, with Michelle Wie doing something stupid. So instead of the world focusing on who is missing, how about focusing on who is playing!

Tseng, the leader coming into Sunday, chipped her third shot over the green and into the rough, then pitched her ball to about 6 feet from the cup. But Oh’s third shot, from just inside the rough, left her with the tap-in that gave her the win. Tseng, who shot a 66 in each of the first three rounds before her even-par 72 on Sunday, said after her loss that her nerves got the best of her Sunday.

Oh was among the steadiest golfers this week at Panther Creek Country Club. She shot a 66 each of the first two rounds to stay quietly just behind the leaders. Then she shot a 69 Saturday to set herself up just behind Tseng. Oh, like much of the field, struggled with heat and wind Sunday, bogeying three holes. But she still managed six birdies and, as Tseng melted on the playoff hole, Oh calmly chipped in close and tapped in the winner.

Na Yeon Choi finished in third place at 17 under for the tournament after shooting a 4-under 68 Sunday. On a day dominated by youth, Chinese LPGA rookie Shanshan Feng shot a 9-under 63 — the second-best round of the tournament along with Christina Kim’s first round — and finished the tournament at 16 under par, tied for fourth place with Stacy Prammanasudh and Hee-Won Han.

Steve Flesch’s tie for fifth at the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship marked the highest finish by a left-handed player in the 40-year history of the U.S. Bank Championship. Russ Cochran’s tie for seventh in 2000 was the previous best by a lefty. Jeff Sluman (tied for ninth a year ago) and Kenny Perry (tied for fifth in 2007) remain first and second on the U.S. Bank Championship all-time money list. Sluman earned $104,000 a year ago, while Perry picked up $140,500 to his total. Sluman has earned $1,660,363 in Milwaukee, while Perry has pocketed $1,422,857. Sluman, a Champions Tour member, is playing this week in Minnesota at the 3M Championship.

Nine players have earned their first PGA Tour titles at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. They are Dave Eichelberger (1971), Calvin Peete (1979), Mark O’Meara (1984), Jim Thorpe (1985), Jim Gallagher, Jr. (1990), Richard Zokol (1992), Billy Mayfair (1993), Shigeki Maruyama (2001) and Joe Ogilvie (2007). Jeff Brehaut set a tournament record in 2007. Brehaut made four eagles — on four different holes.

A group of Wisconsin natives will be looking to win this tournament for the first time. Jerry Kelly, a Madison native, is making his 16th start. Kelly has four top-10s in the event, with runner-up finishes to Loren Roberts (1996) and Corey Pavin (2006). Mark Wilson (Menomonee Falls), J.P. Hayes (Appleton) and Skip Kendall (Milwaukee) are also in the field.

The U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee moved to Brown Deer Park Golf Course in 1994, the tournament’s permanent site since. Four players — Scott Hoch, Loren Roberts, Jeff Sluman and Carlos Franco — have been able to win more than once at Brown Deer Park. Hoch first won in 1995 and followed that victory with another title in 1997. Roberts’ two wins came in 1996 and 2000, while Sluman had his two victories in 1998 and 2002. Franco’s wins came in 1999 and 2004. The following past champions who won at Brown Deer Park are in this week’s field, hoping to join Hoch, Roberts and Sluman on the multiple Brown Deer Park victories list: Ben Crane (2005), Shigeki Maruyama (2001), Joe Ogilvie (2007), Corey Pavin (2006) and Kenny Perry (2003). By picking up his third win of the 2008 season, Kenny Perry passed Phil Mickelson for second place in the FedExCup standings. Perry is 2,262 points behind overall leader Tiger Woods, who is sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Mickelson, Stewart Cink and Anthony Kim round out the top five.

The IOC will decide in October 2009 on possible changes in the Olympic program at the same meeting where it picks the next host city for the Summer Games. The 2016 finalists are Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

Golf hasn’t been an Olympic sport since 1904, but a news conference that also featured PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, European Tour Executive Director George O’Grady, and R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson showed those at the top are firmly committed to getting back in the Games. ”There’s much to be done, and some stiff competition, but we do feel we’re putting together the right organization to get the job done,” Dawson said.

While men’s golf already has four major tournaments a year, not to mention the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup in alternate years, Finchem said getting onto the Olympic program is vital to golf’s development. He cited ”the incredible impact it could potentially have on growing the game around the world, particularly in areas that are fledgling in their current development of the game.” Finchem acknowledged that some players have been cool to the idea of adding another major event to their already crowded schedules, floating the idea that it should be a competition for amateurs. But there’s no way the IOC will consider golf unless it offers up the top professionals for both men and women. The best of those is Woods, who would be 40 when the 2016 Games are held. He has expressed mixed feelings about playing in the Olympics, at times pointing to the potential benefits, others times looking at the possible drawbacks.

”There are issues with respect to the structure of the schedule,” Finchem said. But he feels those concerns will be wiped away once players are educated on the potential for growth. ”Where the game is 10, 15, 20, 25 years from now could be fundamentally different because of the steps we’re taking, and the short-term issues will pale in comparison,” Finchem said.

Drug testing is another potential snag, but golf has recently moved in line with the rest of the sporting world by initiating anti-doping programs on all its major tours. While not as strict and comprehensive as World Anti-Doping Agency standards, Finchem believes any significant differences could be worked out. Organizers of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics wanted to add golf to their program — and play it at Augusta National. That proposal failed when some IOC members and others criticized the club’s all-male membership, and the fact it had only recently taken a black member. In 2005, golf failed to win inclusion at the London Games. Under that proposal, officials suggested 72 holes of stroke play with 50 men and 50 women. Eligibility would have been determined by the world ranking, with no country getting more than three players.

Unlike the full swing, putting requires the utmost in limited and controlled movements. Any swaying, lifting or sliding can cause you to miss putts. The same holds true for your eyes. Any deviation from the golf ball through impact can lead to a variety of mis-hits that affect not only your aim but your distance control as well.

Here’s another easy tip to apply the next time you’re on the putting green. Simply place a golf ball about six inches behind your ball and make a stroke. If you miss the ball (swinging either above it or to the side), then your backswing path is offline or too steep.

If you want to become a better putter, you have to learn to stabilize the lower body as much as possible. All great putters have a rock-steady lower half and swing the putter from above the waist. Now, deciding whether you’re a hands-driven putter or a shoulder-driven putter (or both!) is a matter of personal style, but one thing is for sure: No matter how you choose to swing with the upper body, the lower body must stay as still as possible.

Perry beat Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson in a one-hole playoff to win the John Deere Classic and escape with his third victory in five starts after bogeying the 18th hole Sunday. Perry had a one-stroke lead at 17 under through 17 only to lose it thanks to some poor shots from the fringe on the final hole of regulation. He and Williamson were off the course when Adamonis, the PGA Tour’s oldest rookie at 35, missed an 18-foot putt for birdie that would have won it in regulation and given him his first victory. The ball stopped 3 feet short and Adamonis was at 16-under 268 with the others. Perry, who was signing autographs, said he didn’t see the shot. He just heard the roar and knew he had to get back on the course.

While Adamonis and Williamson both hit approach shots into the pond on No. 18, Perry tapped in from 1 feet, 4 inches for par and the victory after his 24-footer stopped just short. He picked the ball out of the cup and raised both arms, an ear-to-ear grin crossing his face. He has reason to smile. He collected $756,000 with his 12th victory and is enjoying the best stretch of his career at an age — 47 — when players are getting ready for the Champions Tour. A guy with apparently no aspirations to be the next Arnie or Jack suddenly is one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour.
Now second behind Tiger Woods in the FedExCup standings, Perry might have been a threat there had he not decided to honor a commitment to play in the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee instead. He’s focusing on the Ryder Cup and on playing courses he thinks suit his game. Like TPC Deere Run.
Perry pulled ahead at 17 under with a birdie on the par-4 14th, and stayed ahead with a putt to save par on the par-3 16th after a terrible chip from the fringe. After his tee shot settled about 19 feet from the hole, Perry overshot the cup by 16 feet. No problem. Instead of a bogey, he knocked in the putt to maintain a one-shot lead over MacKenzie, but he wasn’t as fortunate when a similar scenario unfolded on 18. His approach settled on the fringe along the right side, 34 feet from the cup, and his chip shot went across the green to the fringe on the left side. Another chip shot for par went about 6 feet, and Perry hit a 6-foot putt for the bogey that opened the door for Adamonis and Williamson. Adamonis then missed a chance on the final regulation hole.
Perry lost a playoff at the AT&T Classic in May and won the Memorial two weeks later. He tied for sixth at the Travelers Championship and closed out June with another win at the Buick Open. The win on Sunday gives him five top-six finishes in seven starts and a four-year PGA Tour exemption that runs through 2012. Other players have been touching him and asking what he’s been eating lately, hoping to capture some of his magic. The galleries have been a little larger lately, too, and the PGA Tour even assigned him a security guard at the course. It’s all new for Perry, who has played more than two decades on the Tour.

Fix: A proper setup must yield two things: balance and range of motion. A setup that doesn’t allow for both to be maintained throughout the swing is flawed from the start. Range of motion is unrestricted when you bend from the hip joints. This puts the spine in a neutral position, which allows for maximum stability and mobility. If you sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight, you’re bent at your hips.

Drill: Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart. Take one hand and put it in the small of your back with your palm open and facing out. Now place a golf club in your hand, holding the shaft near the clubhead so that the shaft runs straight up your spine with the grip end against the back of your head. Maintaining these contact points with the club, bend forward from the hip joints. If the grip end of the club is still in contact with the back of your head while holding the end of the club in the small of your back, then you’re bending properly. If not, it means you’re either rounding your shoulders or bending from the waist, not the hip joints.

Keep the head still in the backswing.
Fault: A head that doesn’t move in the backswing prevents the golfer from getting the upper body behind the ball. This will lead to swaying or a reverse pivot, with the majority of body weight placed on the front (closest to target) foot.

Fix: Allow the head to move toward the back foot on the second half of the backswing. This allows the chest to get behind the ball without swaying.

Drill: Put on a necktie. At address, when hanging straight down, the tie should fall in line with the tips of your toes. At the top of the backswing, the tie should now be pointing inside your right foot. If your head has remained still, the tie will point inside your left foot because your chest will not have moved behind the ball. Once you get the feel for this move, you should feel significantly more dynamic.

Perry chose not to try qualifying for the U.S. Open last month, and won’t be heading to the Open Championship next week. Instead, he’ll play the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. “I’ve been getting hammered for it,” Perry said. “I’m proud of myself to be able to push that aside and go out there and shoot good scores.”

The 47-year-old Perry is right behind Ken Duke and Charlie Wi in a tie for third after winning two events last month. Woody Austin was in a group at 5-under, with 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson five strokes behind the leaders.

He  birdied his first three holes at TPC Deere Run, setting the tone for his round. He started on the par-5 No. 10 and drove a sand wedge to 18 feet, then hit a 9-iron within 11 feet on the par-4 11th before driving a 5-iron to 10 feet on the par-3 12th. “I just feel very comfortable here,” he said. “It’s kind of in my element here, in my wheelhouse.” He missed a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole that would have put him in a tie for first. Even so, it was another good round, one of many in recent weeks.

Yet for all the shots he’s made lately, Perry has also absorbed his share for passing on majors. Ineligible for the Masters, he decided not to go through 36-hole qualifying for the U.S. Open the day after winning the Memorial because he was tired. Then, he raised a few more eyebrows by choosing to honor his commitment at Milwaukee rather than go to the Open Championship, even though this seems like his best shot at a major. After all, he’s playing well and Tiger Woods is out with a knee injury. The Kentucky native is more consumed with helping the United States win the Ryder Cup at Valhalla in Louisville, so he set a schedule that he thought would land him on the team. “That’s the only goal I’ve got,” Perry said. “I’m not really focusing toward the majors or nothing. I’ll get to play the PGA (Championship) here in a few weeks and I’m looking forward to that.”

While Perry kept his momentum going, Johnson hopes to build some this weekend. He finished with a birdie on 18 and, more importantly, made it through the round pain-free after missing three weeks because of tendinitis in his left wrist. He also put himself in position to survive the cut after missing it last year. “I’m hitting it pretty good,” said Johnson, who grew up just over an hour away in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “My driver’s coming along; I switched drivers this week. I just have to start making more putts. It’s not like I hit it to 6 feet every hole, but I gave myself chances. I just didn’t make many.”

As determined as he was to play golf for a living, Perry was equally tenacious about playing in the Ryder Cup at Valhalla, just up the road from his old Kentucky home. “I told (wife) Sandy, this might be the worst thing I’ve ever wished for,” Perry said. “I may play poorly and get drilled.” No need to wait for the Ryder Cup to get hammered.

There are plenty of guys who make a Ryder Cup team without winning a major. Perry might be the first to clinch a spot without having played in a major that year. He wasn’t eligible for the Masters. Then, he chose not to go through 36-hole qualifying for the U.S. Open the day after he won the Memorial because he was worn out. Besides, Perry said he has never played well at Torrey Pines and wanted to conserve his strength for PGA Tour events that would give him a better chance at winning, and making the Ryder Cup team. With only five weeks remaining in the qualifying process, Perry is virtually a lock to make the team. Along the way, his outstanding play earned him a spot at Royal Birkdale through a special money list. This might be Perry’s best chance to win a major, considering his form and Tiger Woods’ knee. But he turned it down.

Woody Austin didn’t go to Carnoustie last year because he had played two months straight and didn’t want to show up at the toughest links course in the world and shoot a million. It would be one thing if Perry wanted to rest his 47-year-old bones. But he’s playing this week at the John Deere Classic, and next week at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. “I committed to all these tournaments when I was ranked 100th in the world,” said Perry, who is now at No. 20. “And now, all of a sudden, I’ve won twice. I’m not going to back out on them.”

He risks the respect of his peers, however. Why would anyone skip a chance to play one of four major tournaments that define a career? How does it look when one of the top Americans ducks a major to play against the B-Flight in Milwaukee? The most peculiar part of Perry’s decision is that he finished 16th or better in three of his last four Opens. His best finish was at Royal St. George’s, where he wound up four shots behind Ben Curtis in a tie for eighth. That was in 2003, the best season of Perry’s career.

 Then again, Perry isn’t the first player to skip a major at the top of his game. Arnold Palmer was the Masters champion in 1964 when he stayed home from the British Open because he was tired. Annika Sorenstam was 28 when she skipped the du Maurier Classic, citing fatigue after taking appearance money from two overseas tournaments. Perry at least should get credit for being the first American to care more about the Ryder Cup than a major. Besides, his captain is squarely behind him.

Don’t Warm Up

Try to get to the golf course right at your tee time. This way you can avoid the hassle of warming up.My theory is that you’re only going to hit five good shots in the course of the day, so why waste one on the driving range? Isn’t it better to start playing right away, rather than embarrassing yourself in front of yet more people? Of course it is.And whatever you do, don’t stretch. You might pull something.

How to Screw Up a Great Drive

It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. People are watching. The pressure’s on. And you smack a drive straight and long down the middle of the fairway.
Now: Time to screw it up!
As you walk to your ball, keep telling yourself, “Don’t screw up your drive.” If you’re already talking to yourself on the second shot of the day, it’s a bad sign. And that’s good. And since the next shot is such an important one, you’re going to want to see where it goes right away. So as you swing through the ball, lift your head.Hey, you may even hear yourself scream, “I lifted my head!” as your ball sails dead left with the arc of a banana. Congratulations, my friend: You’ve set the table for another horrible round of golf.

The Golf Cart

Try to pick a cart that looks like it’s been through a war. Because with your game, it’s sure to have to go off-road at some point. If it barely has enough juice to make it up the first hill, whatever you do, don’t turn around and exchange it for a better cart. This would not only eliminate stress from your day, it would rob you of a primo excuse for your crappy round later on.

Trees

When you wind up in the trees (and you will), DO NOT PLAY IT SAFE! That’s what the trees want you to do. They want you to look bad. Don’t let them win. If you’ve sliced the ball into a forest but can still see an inch of daylight through some branches fifty yards away, GO FOR IT!

If Tiger Woods can make this shot one time in a thousand, why can’t you? Remember, many a scorecard adventure has begun with the words “Hand me my two-iron, I’m going to try to blast it out of here.”

Don’t punch the ball onto the fairway until you’ve tried every possible way out. If your buddies aren’t hiding behind a cart, you haven’t tried hard enough. If you wimp out here, you’ll never know the glory of what might have been!
Avoid Fun

In the mysterious world of golf there are evil forces at work that will keep you from having a bad round. And one of the most powerful of these is “having fun.”

Avoid fun. Fun is for children. And otters. This is serious. Why? . . . I don’t know. But it is. It just is.
FUN = RELAXED = LOW SCORES
. . . and that’s something we want to avoid.
Find out more about How to Really Stink at Golf by Jeff Foxworthy & Brian Hartt.

Safety: Be aware of the players in your group, others on the course, and yourself. Never take any action that could endanger anyone.

Consideration of other players:
Show consideration of your actions, be careful not to disrupt anyone through excessive movement, talking and unnecessary noise.
On the putting green, be sure not to stand in nor cast a shadow through the line of someone’s putt.

Pace of Play: Be sure to maintain a good pace of play. Click here for the Play Golf America Pace of Play Hints.

Course Conditions: Do everything you can to leave the course they way you found it.
Bunkers – be sure to rake your footprints while leaving a bunker. Feel free to rake those that others left behind as well!
Divots – Taking a divot is not bad, but leaving it un-repaired is bad.
Ball marks – make the effort to repair any marks made on the putting surface.

Where do I go for answers to rules questions?

Go to any golf course and you are bound to here discussions on interpreting the Rules of Golf. If you are looking to settle an disagreement with a fellow competitor, or simply satisfying your curiosity, here are a few resources for you:
 E-mail your inquiry to the USGA.
The USGA Rules of Golf web page provides numerous resources.
For a personal touch, contact a PGA Professional near you.
What is the USGA’s role in the Rules of Golf?

The USGA works in concert with the R&A in St. Andrews, Scotland, to write, interpret and maintain the Rules of Golf. One of the main purposes is to guard the tradition and integrity of the game.
While the game is pure with a simple concept, it is common for rules to spark discussion, inquiry and even debate between the finest gentle–people in golf.
To help in a golfer’s quest to learn more and understand the rules, the USGA provides some great resources:
Videos on the Rules and Decisions of Golf. More information can be obtained on the USGA web site.
A fun activity is to take the Rules Quiz from the USGA. You will learn more about the Rules of Golf and even learn some things about the Rules you might not know on the USGA web site.

The first round leader was Steve Marino, a hometown favorite, who grew up in nearby Fairfax, VA. Steve birdied three of his opening four holes, did not have a par putt longer than 5 feet. He finished his round with an 8 foot birdie putt. He shot 5 under 65. Tied for second were 3 players at 4 under par, Jeff Overton, Frank Lickliter, and Bob Estes. In the early morning at Congressional, a rain shower softened the smooth greens, and the fireworks on the 4th got an early start. Tom Pernice Jr., tied a tournament record with a 7 under par 63. He had 8 birdies and on 6 of the holes, his furthest distance for birdie was 4ft-3inches. Steve Stricker and John Merrick shot 64’s. Jeff Overton, Cliff Kresge, Nick O’Hern and Jeff Maggert had 65’s. The second round leaders, Tom Pernice Jr. and Jeff Overton were at 9 under par at 131. Fifteen players were within 6 shots of the lead. Anthony Kim, a rising star, was at 134, 6 under. 83 players made the cut. The cut was 143, 3 over par.

The 3rd round called Moving Day was just that. The course again softened by rain had Hunter Mahon’s 64 early in the day showed a sign that low scores were out there. Hunter had 7 birdies in the round and he birdied 3 of the 4 par 3’s.Vaugh Taylor also shot a 64. Moving up the leader board on the 3rd round had Steve Stricker in second with a 4 under 66 and 9 under for the tournament. Tommy Armour also had a 66 and was at 202, tied with Nick O’Hern, who posted a 67 in his 3rd round at 8 under for the tournment. Tied for 6th and 7th and 8th place at 7 under were Tim Herron who shot a 5 under 65 and Robert Allenby posted 67, and Anthony Kim who shot 69. Jeff Overton, who struggled some, came right back with birdies at 16 & 17 is just 2 strokes off the pace.Tom Pernice Jr. though, was the leader after 54 holes. He shot 69 on Saturday and was at 200, 10 under par. 15 players were within 5 shots of the lead.

Anthony Kim made all the right swings when he needed them most to claim his second victory in five starts.Sunday’s final round got underway much earlier than originally scheduled because of anticipated thunderstorms in the area. Players went off in threesomes from the 1st and 10th tees. Sunday yielded a lot of great scores. Peter Lonard shot a 63. D.J. Trahan shot a 64. Fredrik Jacobson, Davis Love, and Rod Pampling shot 65’s. Four under 66’s were shot by Jim Furyk, Rocco Mediate, Bo Van Pelt, and Alex Cejka. However, this Sunday at the AT&T National belonged to Anthony Kim.He birdied the 1st hole, took the lead with a birdie at the Par 5 9th hole and never looked back. He played a bogey free round, 5 under 65 and a 2 shot victory over 2nd place finisher Fredrik Jacobson.

1st Anthony Kim, GIR 12th
2nd Fredrik Jacobson, GIR 7th
Tied for 3rd Jim Furyk, GIR 3rd
Tied for 3rd Robert Allenby, GIR 1st