It appears that we may finally have some young guys on the PGA Tour that can compete with the top golfers in the world. Rory McIlroy, 20, leads the charge towards the top of the world rankings. McIlroy is currently ranked tenth in the world and is poised to have a breakout year.  After a fantastic amateur career, which included a brief stint at number one in the world, McIlroy broke through last year with a win on the European Tour in Dubai. He looks to continue his rise and winning ways on the PGA Tour in 2010.

While Rory McIlroy may be at the top of the class there is no shortage of talented young players. Rickie Fowler, 21, was the top ranked amateur for some 36 weeks two years ago. At the end of last season he proved he belonged on the big stage after nearly winning in Scottsdale. Fowler will make his 2010 debut today in Hawaii.

This year on the PGA Tour appears to have all the players for a major power shift. While it seems that Tiger will never give up his top spot, and he is still the worlds best player, it remains to be seen how long he will be out. It is doubtful that he will miss any big tournaments or majors but nobody can say for sure. At the moment the timing may be perfect for a young star to steal the limelight and perhaps a sponsorship deal or two away from the veterans.

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Roughly a week away from the beginning of the new season it remains to be seen just what kind of impact the Tiger scandal will have on his schedule. Given his limited number of tournaments on a yearly basis he may not be seen until the Masters, in April. Just because Tiger is missing does not mean there won’t be great golf tournaments.

Some changes have been made to the schedule, such as Waste Management taking over as title sponsor for the FBR Open and the date being pushed back a month. Two goals will hopefully be accomplished by this move; putting an end to frost delays and getting a stronger field. The Waste Management Open will now be played the week after the WGC match play which is just north of Tucson. The hope is that with the top 64 players in the world an hour away to the week before, more will stick around for the WM Open. The tournament is famous for having outrageous crowds of over 100,000 a day and some 25,000+ on the 16th hole alone.

The player to watch has to be Phil Mickelson after his strong finish in 2009. If Tiger stays away for an extended period of time and Phil plays as well as he did last year we could have a new number one golfer in the world. Adam Scott seems to be coming back after a terrible year with some solid finishes in the fall. It seems as though every year on the PGA Tour the tournaments are more exciting and the fields are more evenly matched. Look for the spring schedule to bring some great tournaments to your TV.

The 2010  USGA Groove Rule also takes effect January 1. We may not see the full extent of the change until this spring and summer when the Tour heads to courses with long, thick rough. There is no doubt that it will have some affect but it may be hard to notice to those of us watching at home.

Overall the new season will have plenty of drama. Tiger will most likely have to dodge questions for his first few tournaments and Phil is playing the best golf of his life. It all sets up for a great year for golf fans.

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Roughly two weeks from today the USGA will adopt the new groove rule. It essentially limits the size and shape of the grooves that will be allowed in USGA sanctioned competitions. While the PGA Tour, golf club manufacturers, and many players fought the rule change, the USGA refused to budge. We recently had the opportunity to test and photograph the new conforming J38 wedge line from Bridgestone Golf.

The J38 line is a continuation of the Bridgestone J series, which started with the J33 line, and continued last year with the J36 line. Bridgestone has long been known for their high quality clubs and superior array of performance golf balls. With the previous release of the West Coast Design wedge they also became a serious contender in the wedge market. The J38 continues this move with a similar design, new finish, cleaner looks, same great feel, and conforming grooves.

Looks:

Like most companies today, Bridgestone has ditched the chrome look and gone with the popular black oxide finish. Everyone that has played with a chrome wedge on a sunny day knows it can be extremely distracting. The black oxide finish takes care of the problem. The thing that first caught my eye is the simplicity of the graphic design. Too many companies are creating clubs that look more like a billboard than a golf club. The J38 brings us back to a time where a brand, model, and loft were enough. It makes for a very classy wedge.

Grinds & Design:

The J38 series has the same variable bounce technology that the West Coast line featured last year. This grind creates low bounce areas in the heel and toe of the club allowing for a more versatile wedge. The J38 is made from soft heat treated 8620 mild carbon steel and incorporates a milled face. The heat treating makes the metal 13% softer than a Vokey wedge. The micro-milling process actually increases spin when the wedge face is open for shorter shots and lessens spins on full swings. As stated previously, Bridgestone has incorporated V-Grooves to conform to the upcoming USGA rule change.

Performance:

The 52, 56, and 60 wedges were tested in a variety of lies from the sand, rough, and fairway. All three wedges exceeded my expectations. Whatever concerns I had about being able to spin the ball out of the rough were quickly dismissed. I had no problem putting spin on shots out of freshly watered two+ inch rough. The wedges performed well from the sand and fairway but the variable bounce is what won me over. Testing shots with the face wide open, closed, from buried lies, and from a flat surface were all met with great results. Overall the J38 line was everything I expected and more. After more golfers test these wedges, I believe the bickering regarding the new rule will quickly fade. As many of us will be forced to look at wedges, along with irons, I strongly recommend testing these before making any decisions.

The J38 series wedges will be offered in lofts of 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 degrees. They will be shafted with a True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip. Custom options will be available as well.

Tags: Bridgestone J38, Bridgestone J38 pics, Bridgestone J38 Wedge Pictures, j38 pics, j38 pictures
Posted in Golf Equipment, Golf Rules, Golf Tips, Golf-News | 2 Comments »

Every single person that loves the game of golf has gotten a gift that made them chuckle. Every golf superstore has an aisle or two loaded to the brim with “great gifts” for the golfer who has everything. Often times it is hard to find something for a golfer that is inexpensive and useful. There are ways to avoid the look of disappointment when your loved one opens that new stroke counter this Christmas.

The best bet is to stick with the essentials. Hats, a round of golf, balls, and gloves are always winners. Grips are also a great idea. Most grips are designed to last for a year of average play. I have to change mine every four months or so. The typical golfer probably never changes them as long as they have their clubs. Most grips are only a couple dollars each and are often sold in kits to do it yourself. If you are in doubt ask someone at your local golf course. The employees at courses are more likely to guide you towards a useful gift than an employee at a big box store. If you don’t want to take the time to decide what to get, just go with a gift card to your local course. If they don’t need anything from the pro shop they can always use it on a round of golf or range time.

Tags: Christmas gifts for golfers
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With only a couple weeks until the new year, and a new groove rule, the acceptance has begun. The USGA now has a website database allowing players to check the legality of their clubs. The database can be found here. While the new rule offers a grace period for amateur golfers not competing in top level events, it will still affect a large number of golfers. Any person attempting to qualify for a sanctioned USGA event must use conforming clubs starting January 1. For the U.S. Open last summer there was a total of 9,086 entries into local and sectional qualifying. That is an extremely small amount compared to the number of golfers in the United States and abroad but that is just one event. People have been quick to dismiss the numbers claiming that professionals all get clubs for free. This is simply not case, particularly in the last couple years. Most companies offer little or no discount to mini tour players. This leaves thousands of golfers asking for new wedges and irons from Santa this year. At least those of us who do not get new wedges sent our way every week.

All efforts have obviously been exhausted by PGA Tour players, golf club manufacturers, and many amateurs. What remains to be seen is what kind of effect it will have on the world’s top golfers. The miraculous stop and drop shots out of the rough may be more rare, but don’t expect scores to go up much. There is a reason that these guys are so good, and it has little to do with the grooves on their wedges. With PGA players replacing their wedges every week or two it seems as though we may not see a huge impact. Some tour players using older clubs are already playing with conforming grooves and can still compete. It seems as though a much more public friendly option would have been to change the ball and not the club. With three weeks to go it is too late to wish for a different outcome. All that is left to do is check the list and buy some new clubs.

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Tiger Woods admitted “transgressions” today and asked the public for privacy as his family deals with the issue. Rumors have been swirling since his early morning car accident over the Thanksgiving weekend. The exact extent of his transgressions are not yet known, but with the gossip sites digging deep they are likely to surface sometime soon. His personal life did little to make him famous but it may severely damage his image. For more than a decade he has been able to keep much of his life private. This seems to be coming to an end rather quickly. It remains to be seen how this will affect the legacy of a man who has changed the game more than anyone before him.

Tags: Tiger Woods
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It is perhaps the most media attention a slow speed, single-car accident has ever received. After an early morning crash last Friday, Tiger Woods has refused meetings with police on three different occasions. With rumors of prescription medicine, an affair, and domestic abuse all flying  details are still at a minimum. In statement on his website, the golfer took full responsibility for the accident but failed to provide any details. It appears the Tiger camp has said as much as they are willing to divulge.

Shutting the media out after an incident of this nature typically does not work well for celebrities, but Tiger is not the average celebrity. The world’s most famous athlete guards his privacy vehemently. Something he has been quite successful with up until this point. In an incident like this in a celebrity obsessed society may be tougher to swipe under the rug. With Tiger scheduled to play, and host, in the Chevron World Championship this week it will be hard to dodge the questions and murmurs.

As of now it is a waiting game. The Florida Highway Patrol has stated the investigation will continue. It appears the media will continue to dig as well.

Tags: Chevron World Challenge, Tiger Woods accident
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Tiger Woods was injured in an early morning car crash near his Florida home. According to early reports he suffered facial lacerations and has been released from the hospital. The injuries were listed as serious on the police report but details are not yet available. The car he was driving hit a fire hydrant and a tree near his Windermere home, alcohol was not a contributing factor in the collision. Tiger is scheduled to play next week at the Chevron World Championship in California.

Tags: PGA TOUR, Tiger Woods
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This week Michelle Wie finally got her first LPGA Tour win. Unfortunately the LPGA also announced that the schedule for next year will also be cut to 24 official events. In the latest hit to professional sports, the LPGA will need all the publicity it can get from Wie and it’s other young stars. There will be just 13 events played in the United States on next years schedule and a total of 17 off weeks during the year. This will make even more difficult for young players that are not among the best in the world to establish themselves on the LPGA Tour. With 13 domestic events players will need to shine when given the rare opportunity to earn their cards. Hopefully the LPGA will be able to come out of this recession and restore a full schedule in the next couple years, there were 34 events just two years ago. With young stars like Wie and veterans like Lorena Ochoa battling out there will certainly be great battles on the course. Only time will tell if someone can fill the shoes of Annika Sorenstam, the long time world number one, and bring enough viewers and sponsors to the sport.

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