1st Indian win on PGA and 1st flag hit at HGA

Aug 22nd 2010. Truly memorable.

160 yards on 6th hole at HGA. Rajeev and Khan in company.

5 wood fires well and the ball hits the flag on one bounce!

I can't hit like Atwal yet - Golf World is raving about how close his 4 iron got to the hole at Wyndham PGA.

For one, I dont have a 4 iron in my bag.

Well done double A. You should now get a triple A and drive around for holidays instead of qualifying rounds.

My 89 versus Tiger's 79 and Ishikawa's 58

I only asked for breaking the 90s.

My caddies don't get it. One wanted a MObike and other added a MObile to the list.
And they dont forget to remind whenever I see them.

They are both MOthering my mind!

Still I managed 87 and 91 in last two rounds of April 2010.

I think my next round can be good - and I can aim at breaking the 85 next.

Hyderabad has this culture where all kinds of people get on your nerves for money.
I lost my nerve with my gym trainer not long ago. "Anna - I need Rs 5000 desperately".

Now, can I focus on getting 2 ON (I missed two simple 100 yard 2nd shots to the green after great 250 yards off the tee) or what??



I dont envy Tiger for losing his nerve this week to get worst round in a tournament on US soil. 79 at Quail Hollow.



And how does Ishikawa - 18 yr old - get the nerve to pull 58 at Japan Open.


Anyway, I hit 2 buckets with 9, p/w and s/w. Half backswings gave me 90% of the distance with good direction. Distraction from caddies should be a disincentive to break-away from. 85 and I can play on the caddy-less course.

Where are Desis on Asian Tour this year?

2008 had Jeev on top of Asian Tour with $1.4 Mn earning.
2009 it was Jaidee (Thailand) with $981k. Top desi was Jyoti at # 5 with $341k.
Bhullar was 6th.
Desis havent started rocking the circuit yet in 2010. Gangjee and Bhullar are at 8th and 9th.

PGA Tour rankings for week 16th show Jeev at 75th and Bhullar at 125th.
Big events this quarter are Ballantine's in Korea (April 22nd) and US Open (June 17th).

Bhullar did well to win the Suwan event in Feb, but there hasnt been much to cheer since then.
Too hot in Hyderabad to play and not much to stay glued to TV either.
Where are our fellas this summer?
Dont tell me they are playing at tournaments in Dharamshala and Ranikhet.
Guys - beat the heat, get up and get noticed!!

Phil's basics on bunker shots - WHY of an open club face

I am no fan of Mickelson. Yet.

I liked his "Go, honey" pitch shot though.

And his real honey Amy looks sweet too. She will make it thru her in-situ CA.
Well, may be I am becoming a fan. I absolutely didnt like the TW video saying "TW, you S***."

Super-quality microphones - and that's what you do?

Anyway, back to bunker. I liked this post on Golfdigest.com - particularly because

i) it explains "why" the club face should be open.
ii) "why" your stance should be open.
iii) And reminds you to ACCELERATE thru the ball.

Phil says -

Play the ball forward in an open stance. To help you hit the sand first, set the ball just forward of center, with your hands slightly ahead of it. Open your stance to promote a shorter swing.
Always open the clubface at address. An open face will increase the bounce on the sole of the club so it doesn't dig deeply into the sand. It also adds loft, which helps get the ball up quickly.
Break your wrists early. Limit your arm swing as you hinge your wrists in the takeaway, then try to maintain that hinge through impact. Your hands should lead the clubhead at all times.
Maintain clubface loft through impact. Don't rotate the face closed--you'll bring the leading edge into play and dig. Through impact, hold the face open so it keeps the loft you set at address.
Accelerate through the sand. Hit through the ball, not at it. Both arms should straighten in the follow-through, the club pointing at the target.

Thank you Phil. And I liked your pic in green jacket with your daughter on Monday at Augusta Krispy Kreme. Nice dad.

16 yr old at the Masters

Youth is over-rated. Think again!
Matteo Manassero.
Likes of Jim Furyk are cooling their heels while this kid scores a 71 on Thursday at the Masters.
If you want to beat his low-age record at the Masters, you have to win British Amateurs - that gets you an invite to two majors - the British and the Masters.
And you have to be below 16.
Ugh! Now what was I doing at 16?
Damn! Trigonometry and chemical reactions. Copper with nitric acid.
Well, at the British Open it was Tom Watson in the limelight and its Mr Woods at the Masters.
Westwood has shown tenacity in maintaining his lead into the final day.
Cool guy Phil is enjoying it too - he says it 'cause the woods here are forgiving.
Damn, I have my driving range is shut-down - just when I was beginning to enjoy hacking the driver with my corrected spine-tilt. May be I can try pacticing plastic balls, since they are allowing irons anyway. My golf widget told me that Norman went from h/cap of 27 to even in 2 years. Matteo and Watson - you guys inspire me!

Phil ... a cool guy?

Shell Houston Open.
Phil brought on a special caddy for a few holes -- the doctor who's been treating his wife and mother.
Mickelson had invited Dr. Tom Buchholz, a radiation oncologist at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, to the tournament along with many other doctors and hospital staff. And on Sunday, on the 14th tee, when Phil was out of contention -- hold the jokes for half a second -- he invited Buchholz to take the bag from regular caddy Bones Mackay.
That's one hell of a cool gesture, isn't it? It cost Phil absolutely nothing -- matter of fact, it might have helped. Buchholz helped Phil to a birdie on 14, and suddenly a one-hole stint turned into three holes.
"Three great reads, three great clubs," Mickelson said later. "It was only supposed to go one hole. I ended up making birdie, and I kept making birdies. We went 3-for-3 together." Buchholz had some experience as a caddy, having looped after college. But it wasn't his green-reading skills that put him on the bag.
"This man has helped us through some of the toughest times that we've gone through," Mickelson said. "He's the best at what he does."

Now Slumdog golfers

Check this out ...
http://totallycoolpix.com/2010/03/urban-golf-in-india/

If the Oscar-winning pics of slum-dwellers dripping in shit didnt make all India sick, we have creative photographers now profiling slum boys posing as golfers.
Of-course there is nothing photogenic about shrinking economy and joblessness in all of US / Europe. Why not take creative pictures showing shut-down of circuit-city stores or a dejected mother hunting for a job or strip-dancers who cannot strip no more?
India doesnt need no pity - you creators with no creative stories in your own countries.

"You lifted your head"

Most under-rated and under-taught basic is Posture - the side-tilt and forward tilt of the spine. At address and during the swing.
I havent spent a day at golf without hearing "You lifted your head".
Reality is that you end up lifting your head because of loss of forward tilt during downswing. I have been studying posture for the past one month and working on my driver at HGA. Finally the fade is gone and big credit goes to the right posture - advised by my coach and esp this video!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tgd4C914aI

Buy a new Driver and reduce H/Cap?

(Stolen post but worth sharing)

"if I can master the most difficult club in the bag I can master the game" is a null argument as most shot are played from inside 150yrd (~135m). In other words to improve one should master the short irons and the putter!!
The thing with golf is that it is the only sport played recreationally where a 'handicap' system creates a level playing field.....i.e. you can be worse than other people but are given shots to make it level.
Club golfers even win trophies by getting higher scores but winning through the handicap.....
The only way worse players think in their minds that they can improve is to hit the ball further.......it is a glamour thing.....and no doubt through Xmas and birthday presents and their own spending they have bought everything 'normal' in the game....so they show off their new item and try and improve through yards...
Lessons are a sign of weakness and defeat....better keep going with their own poor habits!Because they don't understand that you can do better with poor equipment and the knowledge of how to play golf then you can with good equipment and no knowledge on how to play golf.Since it's mostly mental, sometimes it works. Just bought a new 905 with a Fuji and it gave me twenty straighter yards and got my scores back into the high 70s.it isn't so much buying a better game, it is because that is what is expounded as being one of the best ways to improve one's game.

Lessons help, but even golf pros tell them to buy new clubs to take their game to the next level.Agreed, they probably don't take enough lessons, or can't, and they do not always buy the proper equipment, although it may be better. A catch 22 isn't it?Suggestive Marketing , that's why these golf companies pay millions for commercials for their products and make people feel that they can buy a better game , Yeah you get what you pay for when you buy golf equipment , but if you don't know how to swing a club correctly it won't make any difference in the world .

How and where to play and learn golf in Hyderabad

Visitors and those interested in playing or learning golf in Hyderbad.
Following courses are active in Hyderabad ...
HGA (Hyderbad Golf Assn.) ... 2 thumbs up! Good driving range and well maintained course. And a great club-house. http://www.hyderabadgolfclub.co.in Downside is that it has just 6 greens now and hours of operation are 6 to 11 am, followed by 3 to 6 pm. Green fees and caddy fees will cost you about Rs 300 per round.
Artillery Center Gandipet ... Good course in this part of town. It has 9 greens. Green fees and caddy fees will cost you about Rs 400 per round.
Boulders Emaar's ... World class course!! Bermuda grass and stuff. The best course in Hyderabad and author's favourite. Very very scenic. Designed by a UK guy Peter Harradine.
Black tees are about 7200 yards and blue tees 6400 yards. Excellent club-house run by the Novotel group. Caddy-less course. Green fees and cart will cost about Rs 4000. Didn't I say world standard.
http://www.emaarmgf.com/boulderhill
Author's favourite is Par 5 "Serpent". If you are a Golf connoisseur visiting Hyderabad, you must budget a day to play at this course ... this is Asia's very own version of desert golf course. You might find it better than TPC Scottsdale AZ. Dont waste your time at other mundane sight-seeing locations suggested by your host.
EME ("Bepta") ... maintained by the army. Green fees and caddy charges about Rs 400.
Bolaram Golf Course ... maintained by the army. Green fees and caddy charges about Rs 400.
Now why did I make this blog.
Because I relocated to this city 4 years back and it took me 2 years to get this basic info !!
And now I can help you with the following:
1) Discount and arrangement logistics at some of these courses.
2) Information about tournaments in Hyderabad.
3) Training at less than $25 an hour.
4) Golf buddies for round of golf in Hyderabad.
5) Golf arrangements in other cities in India.

Mail me on hanumangolf@yahoo.in