Un-Leish-ed...

Paul Sheehan Hello Golfers Following on from last week's newsletter, our regular reader Clint Walker alerted us to the fact that Paul Sheehan had won an event in Japan, thanks for picking us up on that Clint. To compliment his win, we have featured Paul Sheehan in this weeks GT news, good on you Paul. At Golf Traders we really value our readers feedback, do you have any feedback about our organisation? then we would love to hear from you david@golftraders.com.au

Un-Leish-ed Marc Leishman - Future Champion? Marc had a very successful amateur career in Australia, winning many junior tournaments. He won the Warrnambool Club Championship as a 13-year old while playing in the same group as his father. In 2001 he won the Victorian Junior Masters, the South Australian Junior Masters and was the Victorian Boys champion. He turned professional in 2005. He played on the Von Nida Tour in 2006, winning two tournaments and topping the order of merit. In 2007, he played his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour finishing 92nd on the money list. He won his maiden title on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 at the WNB Golf Classic by a record-equaling eleven shots. He finished the year 19th on the money list to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2009 season. Leishman was voted the Rookie of the Year in 2009 after recording three top-10 finishes, which included a runner-up finish behind Tiger Woods at the BMW Championship, the third of the four FedEx Cup playoff events. Leishman subsequently qualified for the season ending Tour Championship. He ended the year 53rd on the money list. He recorded his second runner-up finish of his PGA Tour career at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2010. He finished inside the top 100 on the money list in both 2010 and 2011. He reached the BMW Championship in both seasons. Leishman won his first tournament after 96 starts on the PGA Tour in June 2012 at the Travellers Championship, coming from six strokes back of the 54 hole leaders to win by a stroke. He shot a final round of 62, which included eight birdies and no bogeys to match his career best round and second best comeback in the tournament's history. He became the second Australian to win the event after Greg Norman in 1995. At the 2013 Masters Tournament, Leishman was the co-leader after the opening round, alongside Sergio García, as he shot a six under total of 66. He maintained his challenge over the second and third rounds to go into the final day two strokes behind the leaders. He finished T-4 with Tiger Woods, four shots off the lead. Not bad for a bloke in only his second Masters and ranked just outside the world's top 100 - a mark sure to soar when the new rankings are released tomorrow. "I really felt like I belonged, which is a great feeling," Leishman said. "I felt really comfortable - it helps when you're hitting the ball well and putting all right to calm you down a bit. "You never really know how you're going to, but to do what I did, when probably people really didn't expect anything from me was a good thing. "It felt like everyone was waiting for me to blow up, I guess, but in my own mind, I thought I was in with a real good chance to win this. Who would bet against him winning in the future?

What's in the bag May 2012 Name: Jason Dufner Age: 36 PGA Tour Wins: 2 Clubs: Titleist Irons: AP2 712  Fairway Wood: Titleist 910F Hybrid: Titleist 910H Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 Jason Dufner is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and was runner-up at the 2011 PGA Championship in a playoff to Keegan Bradley. Jason is also a regular poster on twitter, you can follow this link to read all his latest tweets.

Player Profile Paul Sheehan Victorian golfer Paul Sheehan has won the Heiwa PGM Challenge at the Kasagi Golf Club, Kyoto, by two shots over a group of four golfers including eight time Japan Tour winner Toru Suzuki. The tournament is part of the Japan Challenge Tour, a gateway to the Japan Golf Tour working along similar lines top the European Challenge Tour and the Web.Com Tour. The events are typically played over 36 holes for total purses between A$100,000 and A$150,000. Sheehan, whose victories include the 2010 Vic Open and the 2006 Japan Open, has been battled a loss of form in the past year and has been working hard with BannLynch Golf’s Denis McDade to turn this around. Sheehan says “the strategies I have in place and the confidence of this win will go a long way towards regaining my full status on the main Japanese tour”.

Thunder and Lightning Something slightly unusual for our readers this week. Listed below are some tips to stay safe on the golf course during a lightning storm. We do not recommend playing in such circumstances, but you must be prepared for any such conditions that come along from time to time. 1: If outdoors during a thunder and lightning storm, avoid water! Also avoid metal objects such as wires, fences, power tools, railroad tracks, etc. Unsafe places include: tents, golf carts, underneath trees. Avoid hilltops and open spaces. Where possible, find shelter in a building or in a fully enclosed metal vehicle, such as a car, with the windows shut. 2: One of the safest locations is inside a large enclosed structure, preferably with electrical/telephone wiring and plumbing (to provide a safe pathway to the ground for any current) but keeping away from doors, windows, metal fittings and devices connected to the electricity supply. 3: If you can't find shelter, avoid the tallest object in the area. If only isolated trees are nearby, your best protection is to crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from isolated trees as the taller trees. Some interesting fact about Lighting: Lightning bolts travel at speeds of up to 27,760 kilometres per second. A single lightning bolt travels through twisted paths in the air that can be as wide as one of your fingers or from six to ten miles. A flash of lightning is brighter than 10,000,000 100-watt light bulbs. A flash of lightning could power a light bulb for a month. Trees sometimes can survive direct hits from lightning because the electricity passes over their wet surface and go into the ground. Lightning can be made in a laboratory by an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator which could generate million of volts of artificial lightning from a metal sphere mounted at the top of an insulated column. About 71.4286% of all people struck by lightning still survive. Temperatures in the path of a lightning bolt can reach as high as 27,760 degrees centigrade.

I'm gonna wait until he's not looking!!

Crocodile Shoes! Well as you can tell it's not a crocodile, but it's still one heck of an obstacle to get around. Taking the term hazard to a completely different level, players in the PGA Tour Zurich Classic golf tournament in Louisiana, had to contend with alligators on the fairways and the bunkers during the first round. Clearly not disturbed by the players, the alligator(s) meandered around the course or lolled in the water on fairway-side lakes without a care in the world!

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Old clubs? We'll buy them from you... Golf Traders and The Custom Golf Shop have joined forces to offer customers another fantastic service. With the golf season in full swing and Christmas just passed, we all have clubs that are being made redundant every day. Instead of letting them collect dust in the garage, turn them into cash... or at least let them go some way to buying the new clubs you so desperately need. View all of our stock here or come in store and have a shot on our Triple Surround Simulator to try before you buy! The Custom Golf Group 24 Burleigh Street Burwood, NSW 2134 Australia thecustomgolfshop.com.au Find us on Twitter

PRO TIP: Align the Club face One of the most common mistakes amateurs make is improper alignment. Some think they should align their feet at the target, others try to get their shoulders parallel to it. Hey, some golfers try to align everything at the target! They’re all wrong. The correct way to align your shots is to always begin by first assessing your target from behind the ball. This will give you a perspective of the entire hole and help you aim right where you want the ball to go. Secondly, before you make your actual stance, set the clubface behind the golf ball and align it directly at the target. Do this before, not after, you get into your stance. PGA Tour players have a knack for aligning the clubhead in this fashion. Pay attention to how they do it the next time you tune in.

David Fearns (PGA) Golf Traders

Bad News...

Hello Golfers Bad news…..no Aussie wins this week. First up I would like to say there is no real bad news, it’s just that we did not see an aussie win this week… after last week’s highs of the Australian Masters celebrations, it feels a bit flat to be honest. The only real bad news is that we have to wait until June for the next major championship to roll around.

On Your Broom - Stick Users of the broomstick putter celebrated the completion of the grand slam when Adam Scott won the Masters. The Masters was the last of the four major championships to be claimed by users of belly or broomstick putters. Previously Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship for the first major title won by a player anchoring a long putter against his body, four of the last six major championships have been claimed by those wielding them. Webb Simpson triumphed at last year's U.S. Open and South African Ernie Els followed with a victory in the British Open. The spate of victories in the sport's biggest tournaments comes with golf's rules-making bodies poised to act on their proposed rules change that would ban from 2016 the practice of anchoring a putter to steady the stroke. The U.S. PGA Tour and the PGA of America, comprised of teaching professionals, have come out against the proposed ban with the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient governing bodies expected to make a final ruling later this year. Successful Run Scott said the recent run of success by players using long putters did not settle the debate. "We are all waiting to hear what's going to happen," Scott said. "I don't know that this is going to impact any decisions at all. "You know my feeling on it all; that it was inevitable that big tournaments would be won with this equipment, because these are the best players in the world and they practise thousands of hours. They are going to get good with whatever they are using. It's inevitable. "I don't know that is going to have any impact on any decisions upcoming," Scott said about the possible impact of his Masters victory. Masters runner-up Cabrera scoffed at the suggestion that the long putter was a key to Scott's triumph. "I don't think there is any advantage," said Cabrera, who used a putter that was belly length when he won the 2009 Masters, but did not anchor the club. "If it really is an advantage, why don't everybody play it? So, you know, I'm just happy for him." Broomstick Putters Available.

What's in the bag 2011 Name: Lee Westwood Age: 39 European Wins: 22 Clubs: Ping Driver: Ping G20 Fairway Wood: Ping Rapture V2 Wedges: Ping Tour-W Putter: Ping Redwood Anser Westwood is an English professional golfer, noted for his consistency, Lee is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000 and 2009 seasons. He has won the 2000 European Tour Order of Merit, and the renamed 2009 Race to Dubai.

World Rankings Top 10 Australians 1 Adam Scott (3 in world rankings) 2 Jason Day (25) 3 John Senden (51) 4 Geoff Ogilvy (55) 5 Greg Chalmers (65) 6 Marc Leishman (68) 7 Marcus Fraser (70) 8 Aaron Baddeley (93) 9 Brendan Jones (101) 10 Brad Kennedy (167) Top 5 World Rankings 1 Tiger Woods (averaged points 12.17) 2 Rory McIlroy (10.88) 3 Adam Scott (7.92) 4 Justin Rose (6.91) 5 Brandt Snedeker (6.48)

Facts and Trivia about Augusta Given that you have to take out a second mortgage just to buy a few hot dogs, a couple of boxes of peanuts and some beers to wash it all down with at a major league baseball game, you’d think the fairway fare served at one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country would be prohibitively priced. Au contraire, mon frère — the grub up for grabs at Augusta National during the Masters is outrageously affordable, idiosyncratic (pimento cheese sandwich, anyone?) and stuck in some kind of bizarro time warp much like the entire tournament itself. The most pricey selections on the “Patrons' Menu,” aside from imported beer ($3.75), are the club sandwich, barbecue sandwich and the chicken breast sandwich — they’ll set you back $2.50 each, Georgia sales tax included. For mayo-lovers on a budget, the tuna salad on wheat, egg salad or the signature pimento cheese on white bread cost a buck fifty. It’s all rather unbelievable — the fact that you can eat so well and so cheaply ($15 will get you two ham and cheeses on rye, two domestic beers, two bags of chips, an iced tea and, of course, a pimento cheese sandwich provided that there’s no freak shortages) at a major — and majorly prestigious — sporting tournament. Noting that most of the chow can be consumed with one hand and that none really requires a napkin (save for the BBQ sandwich) which cuts back on concessionary waste, ATL Food Snob describes the food situation at the Masters as being “simple in a good way.” Click here to view the full 2011 menu. Who is Rae? Well, Rae's Creek is named after former property owner John Rae, who passed away in 1789. The creek was named long before Americans even know what golf was, and now plays a leading role in just about every Masters.

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Old clubs? We'll buy them from you... Golf Traders and The Custom Golf Shop have joined forces to offer customers another fantastic service. With the golf season in full swing and Christmas just passed, we all have clubs that are being made redundant every day. Instead of letting them collect dust in the garage, turn them into cash... or at least let them go some way to buying the new clubs you so desperately need. View all of our stock here or come in store and have a shot on our Triple Surround Simulator to try before you buy! The Custom Golf Group 24 Burleigh Street Burwood, NSW 2134 Australia thecustomgolfshop.com.au Find us on Twitter

PRO TIP: Putting in the rain As we saw last week in the final round at Augusta, putting in the rain can affect the amount of speed and break the ball needs to find the cup. When the greens are wet or damp, the amount of break required tends to be less and as a result, the ball tends to skid off the surface a little more than usual. So when putting in the rain, don't allow for as much borrow or break and try not to force your putts aggressively at the cup, as when the edges of the hole are wet, the ball will not catch the edge of the cup as easily when in dry conditions.

David Fearns (PGA) Golf Traders

Great Scott, What a Day, Marc of a Champion

Image: BBC Sport CONGRATULATIONS - ADAM SCOTT WOW, how good was the golf this morning? The best Masters tournament ever I reckon. You know every year there are vital key points in the final round at Augusta, especially on the back nine and in particular Amen corner. For my money the turning point of the tournament for Adam was on the Par 5 13th hole, when his ball CLUNG to the bank and avoided the drink in Raes' creek. For us oldies it was shades of 1992 when Fred Couples famously came up short on the par 3 12th and his ball stuck to the bank, avoiding the drink in similar fashion to Scott's and then going on to win. What made this win so special for me was that he had to fight off a fierce competitor in Angel Cabrera, who I must say hit one of the all time great shots into 18 to force the playoff. Shout out to Cabrera who was a very worthy opponent and a real gentleman to the last, encouraging Scott every time he played a good shot. This is a great win for Scott and a massive win for Australian golf, let there be more great times ahead.

Image: BBC Sport Play off Once the playoff began I knew deep down that Scott would prevail, there was a real sense of purpose about him and having Stevie Williams on the bag must of helped immensely in that high pressure environment. Scott and Cabrera were so evenly matched throughout the playoff it was sometimes difficult to see how one player was going to get away from the other. Amid all the talk about Adams great ball striking and pretty swing, it was his putting that finally won him a first of many green jackets. Since he has started using the broomstick, his results in tournaments have improved no end. I really hope this is the start of a new era of Australian dominance, remember that Jason Day was only millimetres away from participating in the playoff also.

What's in the bag 2012 Name: Adam Scott Age: 32 PGA: 9 Clubs: Titleist Driver: 913D3 Fairway Wood: 910D3 Wedge: Vokey Design SM4 Bag: Titleist Staff Bag Adam has been ranked inside the top 10 for over 220 weeks in his career. He has won 18 tournaments around the world, on a number of golf's major tours. Known to be the best golfer never to have won a major is a tag of the past and is looking forward to the US Open and other majors this year. This is the first major to be won using a broomstick putter.

Tribute to Norman Masters 2013: Adam Scott thanks inspirational Greg Norman Masters champion Adam Scott dedicated his victory to fellow Australian Greg Norman, saying the three-time runner-up had "inspired a nation". Scott secured his first major and became the first Australian to win the Green Jacket when he beat Angel Cabrera in a sudden-death play-off. Wayne Grady Australia's former USPGA champion and BBC Sport expert "Everyone felt for Adam after the 2012 Open. 'Under-achiever' is an unfair tag, but everyone thought that he would have more by the age of 32. He'll now start to plan more and more for the majors, I would not be surprised if he starts contending at all of them. This is the shot in the arm that Australian golf needed. This will get people back on the golf course and start the kids playing again. It will be such a big thing." "There was one guy who inspired a nation of golfers and that's Greg Norman," said the 32-year-old. "He's been incredible to me and part of this definitely belongs to him. "A phone conversation's not going to do it, we're very close. I would love to share a beer with him and talk through it all." "Anyone near to my age, he was the best player in the world, an icon," Scott added of Norman.

Club Storage Given the recent Masters tournament, many of you will be dusting off the clubs that you have left in the garage for a period of time. Some will have cobwebs and others will have rust from being kept in poor storage conditions. The key to storing clubs away for a length of time is to wrap them in a full length plastic bag so that the air does not get to them. Once they are exposed to the elements, rust can eat away at them.

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Old clubs? We'll buy them from you... Golf Traders and The Custom Golf Shop have joined forces to offer customers another fantastic service. With the golf season in full swing and Christmas just passed, we all have clubs that are being made redundant every day. Instead of letting them collect dust in the garage, turn them into cash... or at least let them go some way to buying the new clubs you so desperately need. View all of our stock here or come in store and have a shot on our Triple Surround Simulator to try before you buy! The Custom Golf Group 24 Burleigh Street Burwood, NSW 2134 Australia thecustomgolfshop.com.au Find us on Twitter

PRO TIP: Stay Dry We can't all have Stevie Williams carrying our golf bag every time we play, so it is important to keep dry when playing in wet conditions. This means having a spare towel in the bag, an umbrella and most importantly a light weight waterproof jacket, that is unobtrusive on your body when swinging a club. Us mortals don't have the luxury of a great caddy, so make sure to wear appropriate clothing in wet conditions and keep your towel as dry as possible in between shots. This may well save you a few strokes and avoid clubs slipping in your hands.

David Fearns (PGA) Golf Traders