Sunday, September 30, 2012

Golf Traders Newsletter, October 1st, 2012.

G’day Golfers,

Hope you’ve had a good week. This is the 35th Golf Traders Newsletter, enjoy the read…..

Golf News:



‘Epic’ was one word a journalist used to describe Europe’s win today in the Ryder Cup.

Erasing some of their worst Ryder Cup memories, the Europeans wore the image of Seve Ballesteros on their sleeves and played their hearts out Sunday at Medinah, to match the greatest comeback in history and head home with that precious gold trophy. Jose Maria Olazabal squeezed his eyes and fought back tears when Kaymer holed a 6-foot par putt to beat Steve Stricker and give Europe the point it needed to keep the cup.

This was the first Ryder Cup since Ballesteros, the soul of European golf in this event, died last May of a brain tumor. Olazabal wanted his team to wear navy blue, Seve's favorite color, and added a clever touch -- his iconic silhouette on the sleeves of their shirts.

"This one is for all of Europe," Olazabal said. "Seve will always be present with this team. He was a big factor for this event for the European side, and last night when we were having that meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing. And I think they did."

It was Poulter who gave Europe hope Saturday evening when he made five straight birdies to turn a loss into a win and swing momentum in Europe's favor. Poulter was up to his fist-pumping, eye-bulging tricks again on the final day, winning the last two holes in his match against U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

And he had plenty of help. Europe's top five players in the lineup all won, including Rory McIlroy, who was lucky to be playing. McIlroy thought his match was at 12:25 p.m. -- it was listed in Eastern time, not Central -- and needed a police escort to get to the course with 10 minutes to spare. Then, he came up with key birdies to hand Keegan Bradley his first loss of the week.

The biggest match might have belonged to Justin Rose. He was on the verge of losing to Phil Mickelson when Rose holed a 12-foot par putt to halve the 16th, made a 35-foot birdie putt from the back of the 17th green to win the hole, and then closed out Mickelson with a 12-foot birdie on the last hole.

Six of the 12 matches went to the 18th hole on Sunday. The Americans won only one of them.

News Courtesy of pgatour.com

~

The Irish Blues Brothers?:



~



How Europe Won The Ryder Cup:

For those who missed the excitement, here's a recap of how Europe's final day comeback unfolded (courtesy of pgatour.com):

Luke Donald beat Bubba Watson 2 & 1 to win the opening singles and make the score Europe 7, USA 10.

Paul Lawrie wins 5 & 3 over Brandt Snedeker to close the gap to Europe 8, USA 10.

Rory McIlroy beat Keegan Bradley to get Europe within one point, Europe 9, USA 10.

Ian Poulter finishes The Ryder Cup with a 100% winning record after defeating Webb Simpson by two holes to tie the match 10 all.

Dustin Johnson claims the first singles win for the USA, beating Nicolas Colsaerts, 3 & 2 to make his record, played three, won three.This makes the score USA 11, Europe 10.

Justin Rose defeats Phil Mickelson by one hole to tie up the score at Europe 11, USA 11.

Zach Johnson edges out Graeme McDowell, 2 & 1 to take the USA into a one point lead, 12-11.

Lee Westwood defeats Matt Kuchar 3 & 2 to make the score of Europe 12-USA 12.

Sergio Garcia beat Jim Furyk by one hole to get Europe within one point of retaining the Cup. The score, Europe 13-USA 12.

Jason Dufner triumphed over Peter Hanson by two holes to tie up the score at Europe 13, USA 13.

Martin Kaymer defeats Steve Stricker by one hole to make the score Europe 14, USA 13. Europe retain The Ryder Cup.

Francesco Molinari and Tiger Woods provided the only halved match in The Ryder Cup to make the score Europe 14½- USA 13½.

Congratulations to Europe for their win in this year's Ryder Cup.

This Week's Top Buys at Golf Traders:



Click here Bridgestone Precept SA-71 Series 3 430 11.5° Driver Harmoflex Regular + Cover LH. Only $55



Click here Cobra S2 5-SW Irons Aldila DVS2 50 Gram Womens Flex – Ladies. Only $245



Click here Odyssey Metal X #9 Putter 34" + Cover – Mint. Only $135

Remember, We Buy, Swap and Sell Used Golf Clubs. Send us your trade in!

Have a good week,
David Fearns (PGA)
Golf Traders


Golf Traders is a

Used Golf Clubs Specialist. We buy, swap and sell used golf clubs

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Golf Traders Newsletter, 24th September, 2012

G’day Golfers,

Hope you’ve had a good week. This is the 34th Golf Traders Newsletter, enjoy the read…..

Golf News:

Congratulations to Brandt Snedeker for winning the Tour Championship, and as a result, the Fed Ex Cup.



Snedeker was the only player in the last 5 groups to break par. For his efforts, he was awarded a three-shot victory over Justin Rose (71) to win the TOUR Championship, his second win this year and a trophy that came with $1.44 million. Add the $10 million bonus from the FedExCup, and it's the richest payoff in golf.

The 31-year-old from Nashville, Tenn., calls that kind of money "crazy talk ... like winning the lottery." Far greater perspective came from a 30-minute hospital visit Sunday morning with Tucker Anderson, the son of his swing coach who was critically injured in a car accident and is in a responsive coma.

"I asked him if he thought I was going to beat Rory McIlroy, and he gave me a wink," Snedeker said.

He beat McIlroy out of the FedExCup, and everyone else in his way at East Lake. Ryan Moore was tied for the lead with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, only to make bogey on the last three holes for a 70 to tie for third with Luke Donald (67).

McIlroy had won the last two Playoff events and three of his last four tournaments dating to his record eight-shot win at the PGA Championship. He still is virtually a lock to be voted PGA TOUR Player of the Year, but he had to settle for second place -- and a $3 million bonus -- in the FedExCup.



This Week's Golf Tip:

This week's golf tip is from Tiger Woods, as seen in Golf Digest.



Golf's best short-game players possess great instincts, soft hands and an understanding that short shots are simply miniature full swings. Most of the same fundamentals apply, including keeping your body turning toward the target through impact. You need to stay connected -- upper body and lower body turning in sync -- especially when pitching.

Most poor pitchers are totally out of sync during the downswing. They freeze the upper body and overuse the lower body, or they get handsy in their delivery of the club to the ball. Both moves make consistently solid contact a problem.

I like to feel fluid and unhurried on my pitch shots, my tempo as smooth as Freddie Couples' full swing. That helps me synchronize my upper body with my lower body. I want to feel as if I'm pitching the ball with my big muscles -- shoulders, chest, hips and thighs.

I regulate distance with the length of my backswing and trajectory through club selection and ball position. I don't think of swinging my hands and arms slower or faster. And, above all, I try to keep my torso turning through the shot.

This Week's Top Buys at Golf Traders:



Click here Callaway Diablo Octane I-Mix 10.5° Driver Head Only - Left Hand LH. Only $55



Click here Callaway Razr X 7-SW Irons Uniflex Steel - Mint Condition. Only $340



Click here Cleveland Classic Collection #2 Putter 350 Gram 35" – New. Only $70

Remember, We Buy, Swap and Sell Used Golf Clubs. Send us your trade in!

Have a good week,
David Fearns (PGA)
Golf Traders


Golf Traders is a

Used Golf Clubs Specialist. We buy, swap and sell used golf clubs

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Golf Traders Newsletter, 17th September 2012

G’day Golfers,

Hope you’ve had a good week. This is the 33rd Golf Traders Newsletter, enjoy the read…..

Golf News:

Each of the 30 players in the field at next week's TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola has a chance to win the FedExCup.

Any of the top five players will win the FedExCup with a win at the TOUR Championship. The remaining 25 players can still win, but must get help from players at the top of the standings.

Here are the Scenarios of the current top 5 players in the race for the Fed Ed Cup, heading into the Tour Championship next week:

No. 1 Rory McIlroy • If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-5 finish • Can finish as low as 29th and still have a mathematical chance of winning

No. 2 Tiger Woods • If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-3 finish • Can finish as low as a 5-way tie for 5th and still have a mathematical chance of winning



No. 3 Nick Watney • If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a 2nd place finish • Can finish as low as 4th and still have a mathematical chance of winning

No. 4 Phil Mickelson • If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup • Has a reasonable chance of winning with a 2nd place finish • Can finish as low as 3rd and still have a mathematical chance of winning

No. 5 Brandt Snedeker • If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup • Can finish as low as T-2 and still have a mathematical chance of winning


This Week’s Golf Tip:




According to Golf Digest Teaching Professional David Leadbetter, "Your driver is the most important club in the bag (except maybe your putter) because it sets up so many shots." If you don't have the big stick under control, your confidence in the rest of your game will inevitably decline. Work on hitting the longest club in your bag well.

If you can, all of the other clubs in your bag can't be too far off.

This Week's Top Buys at Golf Traders:




Click here Callaway FT9 Tour Neutral 9.5° Driver Fujikura ZCom Pro65 Stiff Flex + Cover – New. Only $195




Click here Adams A7OS 6-PW, GW, SW Irons Proforce Ust Mamiya 85 Graphite Regular Flex. Only $290




Click here Odyssey White Hot XG #8 Putter 35" + Cover. Only $95

Remember, We Buy, Swap and Sell Used Golf Clubs. Send us your trade in!

Have a good week,
David Fearns (PGA)
Golf Traders


Golf Traders is a

Used Golf Clubs Specialist. We buy, swap and sell used golf clubs

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Golf Traders Newsletter, 10th September, 2012

G’day Golfers,

Hope you’ve had a good week. This is the 32nd Golf Traders Newsletter, enjoy the read…..

Golf News:



Congratulations to Rory McIlroy for his win in the BMW Championship this morning (Australian time).

With his win, McIlroy became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA TOUR, and with his sixth career tour win, he joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win that many at age 23.

"The more you put yourself in this position, and the more you win and the more you pick up trophies, it becomes normal," McIlroy said after his two-shot win over Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. "And it feels like this is what you're supposed to do."

For the longest time, this was what Woods used to do.

"I don't think I'm quite there yet," McIlroy said. "But I'm getting to that stage where I'm thinking, `This is what I should be doing. I should be lifting a trophy at the end of the week.' It's been great. The last four, five weeks have been incredible, some of the best golf that I've ever played. I'm going to try and keep the run going for as long as possible."

The Tour now heads onto the Tour Championship for the final event of the Fed Ex Cup.



This Week’s Golf Tip::

This week’s golf tip is from the man himself, Jack Nicklaus, as seen in Golf Digest.

‘How To Make The Big Putt’

JACK NICKLAUS: To be honest, I didn't always make the big putt at the big moment. But I did make my share. Two that were especially sweet came back-to-back—on the last two holes of the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol. Playing head-to-head with Isao Aoki, I made a 25-footer for birdie on 17, then an eight-footer for birdie on 18 (right) to win by two. 

Here was my thought process when I was over a big putt like those two at Baltusrol: First, I know I have to make the putt. There is no alternative. It has to go in. I made sure that was my focus. And then I devoted all my concentration to making a good, positive, smooth stroke. I see players today with a very set, timed routine.



They lay the putter down behind the ball, take one look, and hit it. I don't know how they can even think about what they're doing. I wasn't so concerned how long I was over the ball; I was concerned that I was ready to hit the putt, that I was comfortable with my read, my aim, my feel for the speed. 

If you don't have the stroke, you won't find it here, so work hard on it before you get into a must-make situation. Over the ball, I thought of my fundamentals—eyes over the line of the putt, or light grip pressure to feel the weight of the putterhead. My last thought: Keep your head still. If I had done all the other things right, then moved my head, it wasn't going in.

 


This Week's Top Buys at Golf Traders:




Click here Adams Speedline F11 12.5° Driver Aldila Voodoo Graphite Seniors Flex + Cover. Only $115




Click here Mizuno MP-32 3-PW Irons Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Stiff Flex - New Grips. Only $345




Click here Odyssey Pro Type Tour Series #6 Putter 35" + Cover. Only $215

Remember, We Buy, Swap and Sell Used Golf Clubs. Send us your trade in!

Have a good week,
David Fearns (PGA)
Golf Traders


Golf Traders is a

Used Golf Clubs Specialist. We buy, swap and sell used golf clubs

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Golf Traders Newsletter, 3rd September, 2012

G’day Golfers,

Hope you’ve had a good week. This is the 31st Golf Traders Newsletter, enjoy the read…..

Golf News:



Louis Oosthuizen fired a sizling 8 under par 63 to lead the field at this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.

Oosthuizen ran off seven straight birdies, a streak that began after he nearly three-putted from 5 feet. He shot 29 on the front nine of the TPC Boston. He didn't miss a green until the 17th hole. That's all it took to race by PGA champion Rory McIlroy, leave Tiger Woods behind and seize control going into the Labor Day finish in the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs.

In the process, Oosthuizen established tournament records for consecutive birdies, low front nine and a 54-hole score of 19-under 194.

"Probably the start anyone would dream of on that front nine," Oosthuizen said. "I made everything, so you get those days where you just look at a putt and you hole it. That was my first nine holes."

The back nine wasn't bad, and it included one brief scare when he felt a twinge in his back when he went after a 9-iron on the 16th. The ache was gone on the 18th, and he rolled in one last birdie to keep McIlroy from getting even closer.

McIlroy, trying to match Woods with his third PGA TOUR win this year, did well just to stay in range.



This Week's Golf Tip:



This week's golf tip is from US Open Champion and Aussie Touring Pro Geoff Ogilvy, as seen in Golf Digest.

When I'm warming up before a round or working on my game early in the week, I hit only two distances of putts: those I think I'm going to make and really long ones.

First, I practice a lot of short putts--probably more than most players on tour. I'd say I spend about 95 percent of my putting-practice time from inside eight feet. I pick short putts that break and hit them in different ways. I'll hit some firm, banging them against the back of the cup, and others soft, slowly dying them in, side-door. After a while, this helps me get a sense of which approach works best for the kind of greens I'm playing that day. You'll save yourself from a few lipouts if you pay attention.

When it's possible, I usually try to find the practice hole with the most slope (within reason--I want this to be a useful exercise) and set up around it. It's good for my feel to see the ball breaking toward the cup, and it's helpful for my confidence to hear the ball going in all the time. I wouldn't really get this if I spent the majority of my practice session on mid-range putts that just glance the hole, so I rarely practice those.

I'm able to get my speed down for lag putting on the long tries. So I practice some of those until my distance control is pretty well ingrained for the day.

This Week's Top Buys at Golf Traders:




Click here Callaway Warbird Plus Golf Balls - 3 Dozen. Only $69.85




Click here Titleist Staff Golf Bag 10" Black. Only $245




Click here Callaway FT Draw 15° 3 Wood Fujikura Fit On 160 Regular Flex + Cover – New. Only $125

Remember, We Buy, Swap and Sell Used Golf Clubs. Send us your trade in!

Have a good week,
David Fearns (PGA)
Golf Traders


Golf Traders is a

Used Golf Clubs Specialist. We buy, swap and sell used golf clubs