Recently Sports Illustrated surveyed 72 PGA Tour players, who were promised anonymity, to find out how they felt about the PGA, other players, wives of players, politics, caddies, etc.  I found some the results quite interesting.  Check these out and let me know what you think:

How would you describe Kelly Tilghman's two-week suspension by Golf Channel?
Appropriate: 43%
Not long enough: 13%
Too long: 7%
Cop-out by Golf Channel: 37%

Now what does this say?  Is Kelly liked by the a majority of players?  Given that 56% thought she should have been suspended for her comments about Tiger (even though Tiger wasn't upset), that makes me think that she's not all that well liked by the boys.  But what surprised me was that 37% thought it was a cop-out by TGC.  I wonder if the number would have been that high if the survey had not been anonymous - I highly doubt it.

Do you understand how FedEx Cup points are distributed?
Yes: 68%
No: 32%

I wish someone in the 68% would explain it to me.

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem is paid $5.2 million a year. Which best describes your feelings?
Overpaid: 30%
Appropriate: 32%
Underpaid: 3%
Don't care: 35%

Let's compare that to LPGA commissioner, Carolyn Bivens, who makes about 10% of $5.2M No, let's not - it's just too depressing.

Have you ever been hungover during a Tour round?
Yes: 50%
No: 50%

Well well well... the "YES" result is much higher than I would have expected.  Should make John Daly feel a little bit better, but worries me a tad.  We're not talking about a round with buddies - this is their career.  How many of us go to work with hangovers - Oh...right...nevermind ;) 

Do you know any pro golfers who have used performance-enhancing drugs?
Yes: 6%
No: 94%

I wonder if the 4 "yes" players are talking about themselves.

Who is the best caddie on Tour? (Can't choose your own.)
Steve Williams. (Tiger Woods): 52%
Jim MacKay. (Phil Mickelson): 15%
Others receiving multiple votes: Damon Green (Zach Johnson), Eric Larson (Marc Calcavecchia), Alistair Matheson (Geoff Ogilvy), Tony Navarro (Adam Scott), Fanny Sunesson (Henrik Stenson), John Wood (Hunter Mahan), "anyone who puts up with Vijay" (currently Chad Reynolds)

Haha...I guess Vijay isn't easy to work for.  I just love that Fanny is in this list!  I think she is so cool and seems like such a nice person.  And I love Henrik and Nick Faldo for giving her the opportunity to play with the big boys.

Who's the biggest gossip on Tour?
Caddies: 27%
Sharon (Fred) Funk: 15%
Kimberly (Brian) Gay: 15%
Charles Warren: 11%
Other receiving multiple votes: Joe Ogilvie, Amy (Rory) Sabbatini, Rory Sabbatini, Jeff Sluman

Hmmm...I definitely wouldn't want to be named in this notorious list.  Both Roy and his wife seem to be talkers - Surprise surprise!

But the question that shocked me the most, was...

Would rather you be paired with Tiger or Phil?

Woods: 87%
Mickelson: 13%

I really wish there was a "Why?" at the end of this question.  One could speculate that players expect Tiger to be in the final group and so playing with him means you're in contention OR it could mean that not a lot of players like Lefty.  There's always been rumours that Phil isn't the most loved player on the tour, but I've also seen players like DiMarco say that's garbage.   I don't know...these stats speak volumes to me.

Well, so where's the LPGA Tour survey?  I'd love to see what the ladies have to say, wouldn't you?  Maybe we should put together the questions and submit them through GFW.  I know one question I'd really like to ask the ladies...

Who's the sexiest player today on the PGA:

Adam Scott
Trevor Immelman
Ian Poulter
Sergio Garcia
Camillo Villegas
Tiger Woods
Other ___________

It always surprises me that we don't see more romances between the LPGA and PGA players given how much they have in common.  Sure their tour schedules get in the way, but they do cross paths from time to time.  Just think of baby golfers that could be produced from an Adam Scott/Paula Creamer pairing.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Last night I shared with you Christina Lecuyer's views on the third episode of The Big Break Ka'anapali.  Tonight it's my pleasure to introduce contestant Tina Miller and get her thoughts on the series and this latest episode.

For those of you who don't know Tina too well, let me fill you in a bit...

Tina started golfing when she was 7 and competed throughout high school, winning the Florida Women's State Junior Girls event twice. She attended the University of Miami, graduating with a BA in Graphic Design/Marketing (Ah ah! Now I know why her website is so cool).

At college, Tina won seven times before she graduated in 2005 and turned pro. Tina has played in two US Women's Open Championships ('04 and '05) and two LPGA events (the 2005 Wendy's Championship for Children and the 2007 Corning Classic) on sponsor's invites.

She also made it to the final stage of LPGA Q-school both times she entered. In 2006, her rookie year on the Duramed Futures tour, Tina finished in the top 50 on the money list and had a T4th at the Lake Geneva event.

In 2007, Tina faced a number of personal struggles and chose not to try and qualify for the LPGA that year, even though she came so close the year before. When the BB came along, Tina was not playing golf very much, spending most of her time modeling in Sunice golf catalogs and the 2008 Golf Digest World Ladies Golf calendar. No, Tina's not the Big Breaker who did the nude calendars - that's Sophie.

Since the BB series, Tina has a new lease on life. She's engaged and  working hard on getting her game back in shape to try and qualify for the LPGA and European tours in September. Somehow I think she just might make that happen. This girl has lots of spunk and talent.

Now, let's find out what she has to say about the show so far...

Welcome Tina!  So how did you become part of the Big Break Ka'anapali?

I actually auditioned for BB 6 (Trump) and was declined,  so I wasn't sure if I wanted to audition again. Among other professionals, Big Break gives you a reputation that you're always going to be a Big Break golfer and that's not something I wanted.  I wanted to get on the LPGA my own way and not have to get there via the TV show.

However my 2007 season wasn't very good and some people recommended that the BB 7 would be a good fit for me, so I applied online and one the producers called me and asked me if I wanted to audition in person. They had audition sites at Futures Tour events, so I was supposed to audition at the Albany event, but my grandpa was very sick and I couldn't go.

The Golf Channel was nice and allowed me to audition in Florida after my grandpa passed away, so I flew down to Orlando from Baltimore for my audition.  After it was over,  I thought maybe I talked too much <giggles>, but they actually really liked me and called me back and told me they were considering me.  Then before I knew it, they called and said I was on the show. They wouldn't tell me where it was, but they said, "Bring sunscreen." 

A week before the show, they actually told us where it was.   It was kind of a whirlwind, but it was awesome that of the thousands of girls who applied, I got on the show.  It felt great that the Golf Channel thought that I needed a Big Break and thought that I'd be good for the show.  It was a long process, but it was fun.

So Tina, last week we watched you in a very intense elimination challenge with Cerbie and you said "I've never felt pressure like I did today."  Given how many tournaments you've won and US Opens you've played, that was surprising to me.  Where did that pressure come from?

I think it was the fact that was just short game and I didn't know Cerbie's game at that point.  I had seen her hit some shots that weren't that good.   However, if people were to judge that of me and the first few shots I had hit in certain challenges, then they'd think that I wasn't the best golfer in the world either. If they didn't know who I was and didn't know that I competed in college and won 7 times, they'd think, "She'll definitely be one of the first girls to go!"

I'm not going to say that Cerbie's game was bad, because I really couldn't judge it at that point. It's the Big Break -- it's not going out and playing rounds of golf with one another -- it's hitting different shots. So I guess because it was short game, and her putting is decent actually, I was thinking she could drain some long putts here.

I really didn't want to be the first eliminated on the Big Break. I didn't want to go home against someone who everyone here had been dogging, and kind of belittling, her game.  I was also putting a little pressure on myself because I survived a  really hard elimination challenge the day before and I didn't want to go home by missing a short putt or losing to someone who doesn't have the experience I do.

Did Cerbie rattle you with her pace of play issues last week?

The funny thing about it...it honestly  didn't hit me that it was taking that long, until I heard Stina and Andrew say, "We are going on 4 minutes and 15 seconds."  And then I said, "Are you kidding me!?"

I was so focused on doing my own thing that I didn't realize how long it was taking.  I tried to really not let it affect me.

Well, you certainly played well today!  Given how the players chose their positions on the first immunity challenge, did you have a plan for that?

I'm really good at flop shots.  One of things I did work on before heading out to the show was my flop shot because you know the wall is going to be on BB.  So I practiced.

The reason I didn't want to choose the sixth position was that I didn't want to get too cute with it.  In the fifth position, I knew I could get it up high enough, quick enough and long enough to get it into the circle.

When I had to go back down for another immunity challenge with Courtney and Kim, the first thing I thought was, "It's never going to be easy for me on this show!"  On the last episode, when Courtney and I were against each other on the blind distance shot, we had to go back twice and they didn't show it on TV because it was too much footage.  So we actually tied twice more and then eventually I tried to go for the four points and was too pumped up and [it] hit the green and rolled over. 

So, how did immunity feel for the first time? :)

It was awesome!

Did you have favorites in the elimination pairings? 

I really didn't, because they are all my competitors and I knew they were all good golfers. and you knew two people were going to go home and you feel bad for them, but then that's two more you don't have to worry about.

If I had to choose -- in the back of my mind, my favorites were probably Liz and Sam. Liz because I've known here for the past few years -- we played college golf and the Futures Tour together.  I really didn't know Sophie that well, but she's a very nice girl.  Nothing against Adrienne either -- really good girl. 

Everybody that was there, the Golf Channel picked because they felt that we needed a big break for one reason or another.  So when somebody goes home after getting to know them, hearing their stories and what they've struggled through the past few years playing the mini tours and trying to make it to the LPGA,  you feel bad.  But at the same time, you're thinking, "Okay, that's two less I have to worry about."

But Liz and Adrienne were the two that put the most pressure on themselves.  Liz needed things too much and Adrienne couldn't settle for anything less than perfect.  That's probably the reason why they were the next two to go.

Is Susan a wolf in sheep's clothing?  She seems so flaky on TV, but really pulls off the shots when she needs them.

She's just a happy-go-lucky girl. I played with her in a practice round and her short game was really good. She wasn't very impressive as a whole, but I think she is one of the girls who is sneaky good.  You know [like when] you play a round of golf with someone and shoot a 74 and you ask her what she shot and she says, "71" and you say "What?!" 

She's just sneaky good. She says what she feels and she says stuff all the time and you look at her and say, "Did you really just say that!?" <laughs> That's her personality and I think a lot of the girls underestimated her.  I played a practice round with her when we got there and I knew she had some game.  She's got a great amateur record too - she's no slouch.  Obviously she turned pro for the show and she's definitely the girl that just keeps shocking people every week.

Anything else you want to share from this week's show?

When I woke up the day of this episode I wanted to get into the immunity zone as fast as I could.  Whereas in past times I was very hesitant, thinking that I had to hit good shots because I was on TV, this time around I said, "You know, it not about being on TV, it's about me getting on that bench and getting on that bench quick!" <laughs>

Sounds like a good plan! Tina's off to Minnesota next week for a US Open Qualifying event so we'll catch up with her there after next week's show.  Good Luck, Tina!

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Photo of Tina Miller, courtesy www.Playgolfdesigns.com

Well, it certainly was an exciting and somewhat shocking show this week, don't you think?   The good news...we got to watch some great golf shots.  But sadly, two contestants had to take the walk of shame on the fourth episode of The Big Break Ka'anapali.  I had some mixed feelings about these two particular ladies leaving.

We all know how badly Liz Struart needed a Big Break and to watch her hit the wall and then miss that bunker shot...it was really sad to hear her say she might have to give up golf for an office job.  Oh, I sure hope not...I have an office job and, Liz, you really don't want to go there...

And then Adrienne Gautreaux...that was a big shocker to me.  She seems to have so much game and confidence.  Listening to her talk to her ball reminded me of Hal Sutton at the 2000 Players Championship when he said, "Be the right club today!"

Unfortunately for Adrienne, she had the right club, just a poor putting stroke.

Oh well...as they say...that's golf!  Now let's hear what Christina Lecuyer thought of the show...

So Christina, you're at home today before heading to my neck of the woods for a tournament later this month.  It must be nice to have a chance to watch the BB with your family and friends.

Yes, except for my comment at the end of the show: "Did they not realize I was that good?"  <laughs>

Everyone in the house is making fun of me right now.  I can't believe I said that. I  am trying to figure out what I was talking about and how I said that.  You know I really don't remember.

I guess we'll find out next week...

Anyway, everyone came over for a BBQ -- about 10 friends and family.  They were all yelling and cheering and were really interested. It was really nice.

You played really well on this episode.  Did you, at the time, regret not hitting from the 6th spot like Dana to get immunity earlier?  She made it look so easy (which I know it's not).

I thought Dana was so smart. I wasn't even thinking 6, but I was thinking 5, but then I saw a whole bunch of people set up for 4 and so I said to myself, "Yeah, I might as well go for 4."  But Dana was smart, because really, at 4, I was out anyway.  So you might as well go for 6 and hit and hope, you know.  She played that shot extremely smart.

Any surprises in the first immunity challenge?

I was kind of shocked about Adrienne [she chunked it] and then Liz hitting the wall, but the whole time [Liz] was on the show she really wasn't too confident; I think she was thinking about the grand prize too much.

Well, she certainly had a bad day today between the wall and the bunker...

And then Sophie sinking that shot!  My gosh, that was like a one-in-a-million shot.  I can't believe she sunk it. I mean congratulations to her, but my gosh, that was quite the uphill, breaking, fast, hit- the-back-of-the-cup putt.

But that's what golf is, right?  Those things happen and you have to expect it.

Absolutely, that's what golf is.  You have to expect they're going to make it 100% of the time so you're not disappointed.

I also thought when Liz was in the confessional that you could read defeat in her face when she was talking.

Yes, you could see it.  And I knew what was going to happen, so I was thinking that perhaps only I could see it, but I definitely think others saw it too.

But poor Liz, she really had a bad day.  And you know, that's the thing about this show, you can't afford to have a bad day or a even bad shot.

Adrienne was a shocker to me -- she was the last person I expected to see go home today. 

Oh my gosh, absolutely.  Everyone I think was dumbfounded when she left the show.  She was the only person I knew before going into this show and I was shocked.  I thought for sure she'd be there.

Kim said she liked both Adrienne and Sam, but she wanted Sam to win. You can tell that Sam is well loved by the whole group.  No one ever says anything bad about her which is quite rare on this show.

Sam is fabulous.  Everyone likes her. She's Sam -- she's just about perfect.

That bunker shot on the second challenge looked really tough.  Susan was amazing!  How surprised were you with her bunker play?

That girl has a short game!  You know, we've watched her now in a couple of episodes and she's shocked us every time.  It's her naivety -- she just goes out there and does it.  It's fantastic.

In the interviews with the elimination players, they had two sets of clothes on...what was that about?

There are two interviews -- a scheduled interview right after the challenges and the Confessional, where you can come back later whenever you want, so you can change your clothes or whatever.

Lori said in her confessional, "Christina is getting a little too intense for me."  What was that all about?

I have no idea because at that time she and I were still buddy-buddy.  But obviously that's when the back-talking started.  I realized it later on, but I guess it started a lot earlier than I thought it did. I was kind of shocked by that, because I'm thinking "Why wouldn't you be intense?" I think everyone is intense.  That's who I am and some people like it and some people don't and she obviously didn't like it.

Do you think that she said that later in a taping and they brought it forward to increase the drama?

Knowing Lori, she probably said it at that time. I think maybe she's the type of person who'll say one thing to your face and something else behind your back.  I really don't know.

You definitely have to take this show and the things that are said with a grain of salt.  I'm hoping I can look back at this and say "whatever" and others will do the same when they look at my little comment at the end when I say, "Did they not realize I was that good?  <chuckles>

Any closing remarks?

Just that I really don't know what my last comment on the show was about. <laughs>

No seriously, everyone should watch next week because it's everyone's favorite challenge -- glass breaking.  Everyone is asking me if I broke the glass, but they'll all have to watch next week to find out.

--------------------------------

Well, three down...eight more to go.  Who will surprise us next week?  I am not even going to try and guess who gets eliminated.  After this week's shockers, anything can happen and obviously does on this series.

So I'll meet you back here next week so we can be surprised together and hear if Christina breaks her glass or someone else's.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

When I was planning our golf trip to Las Vegas this spring I asked around about which golf courses would be best for us given our handicaps and preference for wide open spaces.   There are soooo many great courses in the City of Sin, and picking just the right ones was kind of tough.  But I have to say, we got pretty lucky with Angel Park and its two 18-hole Arnold Palmer courses.

I posted a review of the Mountain Course at Angel Park last week.  Today, let's take a look a the Palm Course from the clubhouse:

Yes, Angel Park is a lovely golf course visually, but what's it like in terms of service? Pretty good actually. They don't have GPS on the carts, but other than that, the staff is very friendly in the pro shop, restaurant and on the course. They provide bottled water and ice in the coolers (which seems normal, but believe me, I've paid $200 to play courses that didn't provide either).

There are no houses on the course, which I really like. It's quiet and peaceful, except when I 3-putt and then things can get a little noisy.

Angel Park Palm is a course I would highly recommend to new women golfers because it is not too long - only 4570 yards from the forward tees, and there are only 2 par 5's. Sounds easy right? Oh I wish...I found trouble all over the course, but in theory I should have hit a lot more greens in regulation like my golfguy who shot 38 on the front 9 with 6 GIRs. I ended better, but started off slowly, not parring anything until the 4th hole...which is a short par 4, with wasteland off the resort tees to cross (ladies we get a break on this hole teeing off after the trouble)

I felt pretty darn good hitting my tee shot and hitting the green in 1. My golfguy ended up in a bunker, behind a tree with another bunker on the other side of the tree before the green. Yuck!

I thought he had an impossible shot, but he had other ideas, going up over the tree and over the second bunker landing just a few feet from the pin. He birdied the hole and I 3-putted for a par. Arg!!! Doesn't that just drive you nuts!

The number one handicap hole is #6 - a short par 5, but with a lot of danger zones to trip you up.  I usually struggle making a GIR on par 5's, but I actually overshot the green on my 3rd shot.  It was a course management error on my part - too much club.  I had that trouble a lot in Vegas.  High elevations and heat caused my ball to travel a lot farther than normal.  I bet I added 30 yards to my tee shots and at least 15-20 on my woods and hybrids.  It felt great to hit balls so far, but it really screwed up my club selection.

The 10th hole was the #2 handicap hole and my nemesis...

But then I arrived the 11th and shocked myself and my golfguy by hitting a drive 236 yards!!! 

A 409 yard par 5 for me and I was on the green in 2.  Eagle time!!!  Well, not quite, but I did walk away with a birdie and felt on top of the world. I've never hit a drive longer than 200 yards and I haven't hit one since, but it sure felt great to know that there is a real golfer in here trying to get out!

Oh I forgot to mention the bunnies - hundreds if not thousands of very tame rabbits line the fairways, tee boxes and greens.  I guess there aren't a lot of bald eagles out here...

The 17th hole was a very nice par 3 because, although there was ton of crap to cross, it was only 101 yards for me and 164 for Charles (I love it when the forwards tees are 63 yards ahead of the whites :)).  He didn't like that hole very much.

The 18th was a pleasant ending to the round - nice straight down the middle par 4.  I really like it when they don't punish you at the end.  It makes you forget the 17th :) 

The view of the clubhouse coming home is always nice as well.  As Golfgirl said in her post on Friday, there is nothing better than a glass of wine after a round of golf.  They just go together.

But I didn't stop there.  At night we hit the best bar in town - the VooDoo Lounge at the top of the Rio where we were staying.  Take a look at this view from their huge outside balcony - breathtaking!

Later this week, I'll share with you the beautiful, but deadly, Revere Course, the wide open links called Boulder Creek and the ever windy, but fun Legacy.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Well, it was another great golf weekend even with no Tiger or Lorena in sight.  Sure Lorena was playing in the SemGroup Championship, but she really was never in contention (I guess she can't win them all), and of course, Tiger is still recovering from his knee surgery (the 3rd on the same knee - hmmm...is age catching up to him?)

No, this weekend was for the youngsters on both the LPGA and PGA tours.

Paula Creamer, the youngest winner in the LPGA history, holed a birdie on the 2nd playoff hole against veteran Juli Inkster who was vying to become the oldest winner in LPGA history.   What a great match! 

I could only watch the LPGA highlights on TV because I can't get ESPN2 in Vancouver.  Arg! Thankfully Hound Dog provided some great video on Saturday's round on his blog.

I love both of these ladies, but I was rooting for Paula because she came so close last week, losing that playoff to Annika.  She deserved to get one back.  But it was tough to cheer against Inkster who is such as wonderful golfer and a great person and mother.  I really hope Juli wins another one this year.  She's such a terrific role model.

Now...is it just me, or did the announcers go on just a little too much about how hard Paula was on herself because of last week's lost.  Sometimes you wonder if they just play things up for TV, but it felt over the top to me.   

In my experience, people who are that hard on themselves usually blow it because they can't control their emotions.  That didn't appear to be the case this weekend.  Paula had some hiccups in her game today, but this week she was rock solid - certainly well above the field, including Lorena.  In fact, Juli and Paula were the only two players to end up under par for the week (remind me never to play that course ;)).

As for the men, well, it was 22 year old Anthony Kim all the way this weekend, beating out the field by 5 strokes and becoming the youngest winner on the PGA TOUR in six years. 

Kim came to the tour with high expectations and lots of confidence, and he received some ridicule early on for his bold AK belt buckles and cocky style.  Do you remember the story on Golf Digest's website last August?  Here's how it started...

"When Tiger Woods first laid eyes on Anthony Kim's belt buckle, he feigned disgust. "What is that?" Woods asked, gesturing to the large initials.

"Well, Nike hasn't put my initials on anything yet," Kim shot back, evoking a smile from Tiger."

It certainly is possible, maybe even probable, that Anthony would not have won if Tiger had been in the field, but there is no doubt that the young guns are coming on strong in both the PGA and LPGA tours this year.  By the first week in May, we've seen 8 wins by the "under 30" crowd on the PGA.  That's one more than all of last year. 

And on the LPGA, the world's number 1, Lorena, who shares my birth day, but unfortunately not my birth year, is only 27.   Paula's 22, Morgan Pressel 20, Natalie Gulbis 25, Suzann Pettersen 27, Yani Tseng 19, Louise Friberg 28, Jeong Jang 27...the list goes on and on...

Certainly, the veteran greats like Juli and Annika will defy the odds and continue to play with youthful exuberance, and win their share, but the youngsters are not standing by waiting for "their turn".

I do believe that Lorena has years of golf dominance ahead of her.  But one starts to wonder if Tiger's age will catch up to him sooner than everyone thinks.  The majority believes he is invincible and will remain so for another decade.  But 3 knee surgeries on the same knee makes you wonder...does he have that many years left in the number one spot or will someone like Tony, tame the Tiger before Kim reaches 30 or Tiger captures his 19th major to break Jack's record so he can retire.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com 

Paula photo by: © Daniel Raustadt | Dreamstime.com

Last week we were left a little high and dry without an elimination on the Big Break Ka'anapali, but not this week.

Now don't get me wrong...I don't wish anyone back luck, but I did expect to see someone go home and when it didn't happen, I felt like I was watching the last episode of a major TV show with a "continued next week" at the end.  Having to wait a whole week to find out who would be the first to go home would have been really tough if I hadn't been enjoying 5 days of 90 degree golf in Vegas.  Fun fun fun!  When you live in Canada and it's April, and you're itching to play in something other than a ski jacket, basking in 90 degree weather and watching your balls fly 20 yards longer than they do at home is pure heaven.

Anyway, although not everyone on the Golf Forums out there is enamored with BB Ka'anapali, I have to admit, I can't wait to get home on Tuesdays to watch it.

This week was a good show and finally someone went home.  If you didn't watch the show, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that the barefoot "Iron Warrior", Cirbie Sheppard was eliminated this week.  But you'd probably be surprised to learn how close she came to beating out the much more experienced, Tina Miller (who has won 7 tournaments in college and played in two US Women's Open Championships ('04 and '05) and two LPGA events (the 2005 Wendy's Championship for Children and the 2007 Corning Classic) on sponsor's invites.)

Let's hear what Christina Lecuyer thought of this week's show (sorry Christina, I know you're a bit shy, but I couldn't resist this great pool shot :))...

First impressions of last night's show?

I thought it was a lot better than the last show.

That was a pretty cool immunity challenge playing blind shots like that. 

It was.  You know, I had no idea that my ball went off the green by that little because we didn't get to see our second shot.  So I was kind of disappointed because I hit two really good shots and didn't win, but I was also happy because I was really trying to hit good shots this time because last show I didn't hit many good shots.

After hitting such good shots, you must have been disappointed when Lori not only got immunity, but then the $5K check in the bonus round that could have been yours.

Yeah, it was tough to choke down that due to the fact that I hit some good shots.  I didn't even get a chance to swing at it for $5,000 so that was pretty disappointing sitting there, knowing I couldn't compete.  I am sure my mouth just dropped down to the ground when we all first heard about the $5,000 bonus.

You said after Lori won the $5K you were happy for her, but that after 2 good shots you weren't sure how you'd feel that night.  How did you really feel?

At the time she and I were getting along pretty well and so I said, "Okay, sounds good - good job, let's move on"  At that time I was also hoping there would be more opportunities like that ahead.  So I just said to myself, "Let's get safe today and hope for another opportunity tomorrow."

Liz seems to be very desperate - much more than the others.  She's said many times how much she needs this.

I know Liz pretty well and it is actually quite sad because out of all the people on the show she needs the money more than any of us.  You know, she lives on food stamps sometimes and can't fly into some events.  She'll play an event and then have to take a month off to work.  So she really needs the money.

That makes a lot of sense and now I understand why she said about Sophie, "I hope she gets 2 zeros.", while Sophie just said Liz was great.

Absolutely, and I was actually glad someone else said what they really think.  Even Susan, who in the early Big Break commercials, made some comment about my "I hope she chokes" said, "Hey if it's your competitor, of course you don't want them to do well."  So at the beginning I looked bad, but now everyone else is saying, "Hey this is a competition and I'm here to win."  If you're not here to win, why are you here?  I think finally everyone is starting to figure that out. 

In fact, I was just in a meeting with Kathy Whitworth - all time great LPGA Hall of Famer and she just said, "If you're not here to win, why do you play?"

Stina said that you have "a lot of guts."  She seems quite impressed with you.  What did you think when heard that last night?

I liked that complement. In fact, both Stina and Andrew said that I like to take risks.  In another interview I had, I was asked if I always take those kinds of risks.  And you know... after hearing these comments, I think on that show I took more risks than I do in a normal golf event. 

Lately I haven't been playing very well and and now I'm thinking I've been playing too tentatively.  On the show I played like I did in college.  In college, I wasn't afraid of anyone and I went out every week and said to my boyfriend, "I'm going to win."  And now I see all these players on the tour and feel intimidated and so I play it safe.  But now I'm thinking I have to start to play the way I know I can play and believe I can beat everyone, and when I do that, I know I'll do a lot better.

First we saw Cirbie playing in bare feet and now we see Adrienne hitting shots off her knees on the range?  Does she always practice like that?

<laugh> No...that was just a fun thing they taped.  We were goofing around on the range and we were all still getting along, so she was just having some fun.

In your words from the show, the elimination challenge was a combination of "Holy Moly" and "Holy Mother of Pearl".  Ha ha...sounds like you and everyone else were pretty shocked during that challenge. 

<big laugh> My boyfriend's mother told me not to swear on the show because all her friends would be watching and so I text messaged her and said, "See...I'm 3 shows down...noooo swearing!"

Was it really that Cirbie played better than normal or was Tina off her game.  Is Tina typically that reckless off the tee?  Is she really that inconsistent? Being in two eliminations, you have to start to wonder.

You know I was talking to one of my girlfriends, Kelly, who said that she knew Tina as an unbelievable player.  I didn't know Tina, but from what I saw, I didn't see her as any type of threat.  But now looking at her bio and her record - how good she was in college and she's played in a couple of Opens, I'm wondering...this girl could barely beat Cirbie who can't even hit her own shadow!

However I was impressed in the end. My boyfriend thought I was being sarcastic when I said, "Good job Cirbie", but I really wasn't.  She really hacked it out to stay in the game with Tina that long.  I felt really badly for her.  They didn't show it, but she was crying and she was so nervous she could barely hold the club.  So we were all feeling really sorry for her.  But we also all knew she'd be the first one eliminated.  Tina really didn't put up a fight.

What do you think Cirbie's handicap is? 

I have no idea, but it's not very good.  To be honest I understand from a TV perspective why they would pick her, but she had no chance.  I don't understand the reasoning, but it's hard to advertise her as one of the top 12 women in golf when it's obvious she really can't play golf.

We heard you say on camera, "I'd hate to play a round of golf with her [Cirbie]."

Oh my, it was horrendous. It was like, "Come On!!!"  She took literally 5 minutes on 1 putt.  Unbelievable.

Was she doing that to rattle Tina or was she just being clueless and shoeless?

I don't think she knew what she was doing - she wasn't thinking about anything at that point.

Stina said that Cirbie was "on the clock" - was that really true - did they say something to her?

Yes, they took her aside and said they were giving her 1 minute per shot. So, we knew she wouldn't do very well in the playoff because they rushed her.  To be honest, if she had had 5 minutes per shot, she may have taken it to another hole <laugh>

Cirbie's outfit in the confessional showed off her cleavage a bit more than anyone else's.  Was this because she was leaving the show and wanted to leave an "impression"?  She's got some fans on GolfWRX - guys who think she's hot - someone compared her to Rosanne Barr.

She definitely has a lot of fans. You know, she's a really good girl and people may see her on the show and think she is an idiot, but she's a really nice girl who keeps in touch and has a positive attitude.  She's engaged to an unbelievable rock star - hard core metal type - and she's really liked in that circle.  Yea, she's a really good girl, but she just can't play golf - it's that simple.

Tina's first 3 putt where she flew it past the hole was shocking for someone with her experience.  Were the greens that tough?

A 15 foot 3 putt - that's adrenalin and "Oh my gosh, I don't want to be beat by someone who can't play golf."  You know, its so different than anyone could ever imagine out there.  There's so much pressure, so it was just nerves I think.  But yes, the greens were fast.

What did you think when you watched the "confessionals" of the other ladies?  Any surprises? 

I was happy to finally hear Susan and Liz say that they were here to win.  It's true.  Everyone is saying it in confessional and in interviews, but I was the only one saying right out there on the course.   I'm not going to say anything mean about anyone and I'm not going to do anything to hurt anyone, but I will admit thousands of times, "You're here to win and if you say you're not, you're lying." 

Thanks Christina!

Well, one down...ten more to go.  If I were to pick the next contestant to be eliminated, the obvious choice would be Susan who isn't really in the same league as the others.  But she's stayed out of elimination so far and maybe she'll be the lucky one again next week.  It wouldn't surprise me - actually nothing really would in this "Holy Moly" series.

-------------- to be continued next week ---------------------------

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

My golfguy and I just spent 5 days in Las Vegas, playing golf at a different club every day (Angel Park Palm, Boulder Creek, Revere, Angel Park Mountain and Legacy).  We had some interesting experiences, some bad experiences and some really memorable ones.  Today was one of the memorable ones because it was just sooo "nice".

"Nice" seems like an overused flat word in our everyday lives, but when you spend 5 hours on a golf course playing really poor golf and and are able to smile at the end of it over a cold beer (or champagne in my case), and say, "Wow, that was really nice," then you know you've had a great day on the links.

Today, we played Angel Park Mountain Course and as Goldilocks would say, "It was just right."  Angel Park is a public golf club just 15 minutes north of the Las Vegas Strip.  At almost 3000 feet in elevation, it offers nice views of the Red Rock Canyon and the Las Vegas Valley. It boasts 2 "playable" Arnold Palmer golf courses (Palm and Mountain) and a unique lighted par 3 course called Cloud Nine and an even more interesting natural grass putting green known as Seventh Heaven.  It is really cool to see all the people (kids and adults alike) play 18 holes of mini-putt - championship style.

A lighted driving range is available with grass tees, a chipping area and a large practice green.  Practice balls were included in our $115 green fees.

According to its website, "Angel Park has been the recipient of several awards, including the accolade of Best Golf Course in Las Vegas in the “Best of Las Vegas”, Las Vegas Review Journal Readers Poll (11 out of the past 12 years) and “Favorite Golf Course” in Las Vegas by visiting golfers (as nominated by What's On Magazine Visitor Choice Awards). In addition, the Golf Shop at Angel Park has been selected as a "Top 100 Golf Shop in the Country" by Golf World Business for the past two years in a row!"

Okay...so that's what you can read on its website, but what is it really like to play from a duffer's perspective (yup...that would be me ;))? 

Although it doesn't have all the bells and whistles like GPS systems on carts, the Angel Park staff understand customer service and deliver it well.  The golf shop was very accommodating to our last minute request for an earlier tee time (and they were busy, so it wasn't all that easy for them to help us).  They lent us their sharpie to mark our balls when we lost ours and were just really friendly.

We had two people serving us in the bar/restaurant making sure everything was just right for our breakfast, which was very tasty and very affordable (although their coffee maker could take a lesson from Starbucks). 

The outdoor patio is lovely with views of waterfalls and gardens.  I wish we had had more time to spend just relaxing on it enjoying the weather and the views.

You get bottled water and ice in the cooler on your electric cart and wet towels to clean your clubs. 

The starter was very friendly and almost playful, chatting us up while we waited for our tee time; he even remembered us from the last time we played, which impressed me.

But the thing that made playing the Mountain Course at Angel Park so enjoyable was the design of the course and the company we enjoyed along the way.

Let's talk about the course...

First and foremost, there is a perfectly placed snack bar and air conditioned bathroom that serves both the front and back nines.  Never underestimate how important these facilities are for golfgals.  We hate portapotties!  If a course only offers those, then most ladies I know will chose a different club.

The Mountain Course is fair - very Arnie-like with well placed bunkers.  And it has some challenges in the areas where nature rules (we were in there a few times and learned to respect Mother Nature and her nettles).  I love courses like that.  If you play well, you score well.  If you play poorly, then order more beer from the cartgal and forget your score. Just have fun.

I love the natural elements of desert golf - AKA NO HOUSES!  I hate playing in someone's backyard.  Angel Park has a rugged beauty that brings golf and nature together in a very peaceful way.  I don't remember ever hearing traffic.

Here are a few holes that give you a feel for the views and design of the course.

The third hole is only 257 yards long and looked so easy.  But alas...not for me.  I have the problem of unrealistic expectations when it comes to short holes.  I have to get over that and remember that 70% of all shots are 100 yards or less.  Man...did I have problems with my irons today!

The 4th hole - a pretty par 3, which I didn't - sniff...

Number 9 started so well with a drive off the tee over the water and that bounced along in the rough on the left.  I thought I was home free. 

Unfortunately, the rough, which was rough, had other ideas.  Say no more...on the to the back nine...

The 15th hole is a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Look how easy this hole looks - straight line to the pin - 130 yards - no problem right?  Right...until you realize that the good news is - you're on the green and the bad news is - you're on the green.   

I was so proud to land on the dance floor just 20 feet above the hole.  Par was in my future.  Until I saw that the downhill putt I had to face would scare off an Olympic skier.  Man...that green and pin placement were both brutal!

Speaking of greens, the Mountain Course greens had recently been aerated, which made them a bit bumpy.  However they were still very fast, at least to our standards.  They looked in rough shape as well - perhaps global warming is playing havoc with them.  But the Palm Course greens were quite good as well as the practice greens, so I am sure the Mountain Course greens will improve with their recent aerating.  However, I think the next time I book a course I don't know, I'll ask about the aerating schedule so I don't get caught inside a maintenance cycle.

On to the last memorable hole...the par 5 17th, where ladies only received a 19 yard advantage on a 508 yard hole.  Hmmm....not too golfgal friendly for my books.  It was one of those risk/reward holes and I was feeling bold, so my risks got me two unplayable rewards and I was wishing it was Miller Time.

Well, now you've seen a bit of the course and facilities and I hope you will give Angel Park a try.  I know that we'll go back.

But there is so much more to golf than the grass, sand, sundries and scenery.  When you have to play 4-5 hours of an ego-bruising sport like golf, it's nice to play with people you like and who will keep you entertained between shots.  Occasionally you get stuck with flat bellies with too much Y chromosome and not enough X - you know, those Neanderthals who think women should be serving them in the clubhouse and not out playing with them on the course.

In the past few days I've played with some real jerks - you know the type - the ones who forget you're still off the green when they pull the flag to putt.  They are the same ones who take off in their carts to find their ball when you haven't even reached the forward tees to hit your first shot.   Yup...we had those this week and I'll tell you about them and the courses we played in a few days.

But...today was not one of those days.  Today Charles and I had the great pleasure to play with two very entertaining retired air force gentlemen who were "the real thing". 

Paul from Las Vegas and Pete from Virginia are great golfguys.  No matter what shot was hit or putt missed, they laughed and enjoyed every minute of the day. They had terrific attitudes - enjoying the moment and not worrying about anything - even the slow pace of play. 

Charles and I want to thank Paul and Pete for a truly enjoyable afternoon.  You both taught us the value of friendship and not taking golf too seriously. 

Whenever you are in Vancouver, we'd love to share our city with you and your wives and let you see what it's like to play golf in 75 degree weather next to the ocean as you look up to the wonder of majestic mountains capped with glistening snow.  You have my card...don't hesitate to use it.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

What an exciting weekend in golf - even without Lorena or Tiger!

First, Annika Sorenstam held off Paula Creamer on the first playoff hole to win the Stanford International and the 71st title of her career.  It's heartwarming to see Annika playing so well again and win her 2nd event this year.

Next, Adam Scott, the "too cute for words" Australian, long overdue for a win, sank an unmakeable 48-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole yesterday to defeat Ryan Moore of the U.S. and win the Byron Nelson Championship.  I thought only Tiger Woods did things like that.  But perhaps Mr. Butch Harmon was right when he said that Adam"is the only one who can challenge Tiger Woods in the next four or five years".

But the story that touched me the most, was the come back of the decade, when Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the BMW Asian Open with a 40 foot putt on the final hole (see Irish Independent story below).  Darren has won 2 World Championships and 9 other European Tour events, but this one was by far the sweetest. 

Not a lot of North Americans follow the European Tour, but few golfers wouldn't know Darren Clarke.  The amiable Ulster man made US headlines in 2006 when he was chosen as a Ryder Cup Captain's pick only 6 weeks after he tragically lost his wife, Heather, to cancer.  I was one of those skeptics who thought it was too soon and that he wouldn't be able to perform at the highly stressed event, but his courage and determination made him a star at the Ryder Cup.  It was one of the most emotional Cups I have ever watched and even now it brings tears to the back of my eyes when I remember Darren winning his match 3-2 over Zach Johnson on the 16th hole and breaking down into tears.  I still get goosebumps over that.

Everyone who knows him, loves Darren Clarke, with his Spike hair and a grin that would make any golf gal swoon.  Sure, he smokes a cigar on the course when plays and he can drink you under the table, but he is a dedicated professional.  He is well loved by players on both sides of the pond.  Even when Elin Woods won her court case, she donated her money to a charity in his wife's name. 

This weekend, Clarke dedicated his win to his two little boys, Tyrone and Connor.  And hearing him say it brought more tears to my eyes. 

“This is very special, probably the greatest I have achieved. It has been the toughest of them all, to try and get back up to where I feel my golf should be. It’s nice to win again, a very good feeling.  Hopefully, I have made Tyrone and Connor very proud,” said Clarke. “This was always going to be a massive hurdle for me, to get the first win since Heather had passed away.  It’s nice that I just about managed to clamber over it. Being honest, I probably fell over. [Always a joke for the media from the Irishmen :)]

I've been watching the European Tour looking for the old Darren since 2006, and this year I really felt he was coming back into his prime again.  Every weekend I looked for him on the leader board and this year he hasn't been that far off.  A year ago, he could hardly make a cut.

How many of us could go through such heartbreak and come back out the other side?  I'm not sure I could do that. I probably would have quit after last year.  Heck, I wanted to quit yesterday after a pathetic round of golf.  But Clarke, with the support of family and friends (many of them PGA Tour pros) never gave up.  He is a great role model for his kids and us adults too.

Welcome back Darren!  I will be your biggest supporter for this year's Ryder Cup team.  Given your comeback this year, I have no doubt, there's a major win inside of you, just clamoring to get out!

Golfgal
www.golfgal-blog.com

Photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com

Wonder- putt secures Clarke’s ‘greatest win’

Irish Independent
28 Apr 2008

DARREN CLARKE threw his arms wide in utter elation. “Yeahhhhhhhhhh,” the Ulsterman roared, before catching his caddie Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey in big bear hug. “Wow,” said Clarke. Wow indeed. There could have been no more spectacular conclusion to Clarke’s...read more...

Well well well...wasn't that an interesting episode of The Big Break Ka'anapali ... an elimination round without an elimination. 

Here we thought someone was going home and instead, everyone started sleeping together.  Yes, it was roommate madness in this episode with each of the ladies being assigned a new surprise roommate after the luxury of having their own rooms the first few days they were on Maui.

I would not have enjoyed bunking with a stranger, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, and so you had to hope for the best and get a roommate who didn't snore and didn't back stab you in the night to improve their position in the Big Break.

Then, on top of that, the competitors had to partner with their roomies in the "safety challenges" and hope that they wouldn't pull them down when they were fighting desperately to stay in the game.  Challengers became buddies, but for how long?

I asked Big Breaker, Christina Lecuyer, who's playing a Futures Tour event in Texas this week what it was like that day...

What was with that weather!?  That doesn't look like the Ka'anapali I came to know and love when I played there last year.

You know, that was probably our 5th day on the island and the weather was awful.  One day we sat in the hotel room the whole day because everything was just wiped out.  Even the roads were closed - the weather was that bad.

[Yikes...I've got 3 weeks booked this November in Maui.]

How did you enjoy your first elimination challenge?

Well, I probably hit two of the worse shots I've ever hit... well maybe not ever hit... but I'm definitely not proud of the two golf shots I hit on this show, but hopefully there is more to come.

In terms of roommates, you and Lori seemed to be okay with each other.

Absolutely, we were fine.  But Lori had a big problem with Dana in the beginning.  Lori and Dana weren't getting along.  I had no problem with Dana or Lori.  Frankly, I would have probably been happy with anyone (at that time).  [Golfgal aside...something tells me that later she might not have been so comfortable with "anyone"]

But if you were asked to choose a roommate, was there one person you would have chosen over the rest?
Hmmm...If I could have chosen a roommate, I probably would have chosen Sam.  She's the one I probably talked with the most during the first few days, but I was happy to be with Lori. 

Were there any "oil and water" pairings?
I kinda thought that Adrienne and Cirbie were a little bit different, but not in the end.

So what was all the fuss about the flag?

Well, for that part of the competition, it was a race.  And they said, "On your mark... get set... go!" And I took off.  The wind was really blowing and our flags were kind of blowing together and I grabbed both of them by mistake. But I gave one to Susan when I realized I had both of them.  Then, I ran and put our flag into the ground and I thought I had it.  I'm not going to apologize for going for it. I wasn't about to say, "Oh sure, go ahead." It was a race!

When it was over, I went over and said I was sorry I grabbed her flag and said, "Hey, I didn't mean to grab your flag, but that it is the way it happened." 

But that wasn't the end of it...

Well, when I said I didn't mean it and it was just what happened, Dana said something stupid, "Just because I didn't mean to hit it out of bounds doesn't mean I didn't hit it."  She was being a smart__s about it.  Whatever... 

Lori seemed more upset about the whole thing than you did.
Lori got pretty mad about it, but it really wasn't that big of a deal.  I tried to blow it off. I think she was more upset about Dana's comment.

Do you think she hit it fat because she was upset?
They didn't show it on the air, but we had a really crappy lie [remember, Lori and Christina were at 115 yards when they were forced to give up their spot to Susan and Dana].  It was an area that wasn't really mowed down properly and it was really wet.  It just happened.

Given how competitive you are, how did you feel relying on another player to keep you out of elimination?  Watching it, it reminded me of Solheim or Ryder Cup matches.

As you can tell in this show it really helped me. In this show, it worked in my advantage.  If I was Courtney I wouldn't have been very happy. But, you know, things happen and you can't really do anything about it.  It could have been the other way around, but I'm happy that in this case she helped me.

Did you like the final elimination challenge being non-competitive?

It was okay, but as Liz who said, "This is a game and I want to see as many people as possible go home that is not me." 

Even though I didn't say it, I have to be honest...I was hoping that they'd both go home. It's a competition and the more people that get kicked out that isn't you, the better chance you've got.  So I was kinda of with Liz, to be honest.  After all, it is a game show.

Do you think that The Golf Channel are portraying the women objectively? Some of the ladies (Lori, in particular) are getting pretty beat up in the golf forums.

I don't know....I think everything will work out in the end.  Right now, I think they are using comments that will get people talking and I guess there are talking...right? :)

Yes, they are talking...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, next week will be interesting.  Will someone finally go home???  I'm not normally a nasty person, but I'd like to see the group dwindle down to the best players and start to watch some serious golf.

In closing I wanted to share a picture of the final elimination round hole, the 9th on the Kai course.  I played the Ka'anapali Kai last October, just a few weeks before these ladies and I broke 90 for the first time in my life and shot an 88 - woohoo!  But to be honest, it really was more of an executive course, but hey...88 is 88!

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a really pretty picture of that closing hole on BB Ka'anapali, episode 2 and reminisce about my best round in paradise...

As Christina said to me...it is an absolutely beautiful hole, whether you win or lose...

Until next week...
Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Oh oh...looks like I'm last to the party!  Golf Girl and Golf Chick are both up for this year's golf challenge and so I guess it's time for me to stop whining about the weather and get my butt in gear.

No more excuses!  Not even the snow that arrived last Friday night forcing a cancellation of my Saturday tee time is an excuse for not getting myself ready to play.  Do you believe it - snow in Vancouver in April!  Astonishing!

Anyway...I decided to start with fitness desperately needed and cracked open a new DVD called "Pilates on the Green" - Level 1 (Level 1 - sounds about my speed). 

I have never done Pilates, but I heard it was great for strenthening the core and everyone knows you need a solid core for golf.  So I invited my golfer gal friend Linda over to try out the program with me.

We spent the first few minutes trying to do the exercises and watch Moira Merrithew at the same time.  Failure big time! It was very difficult to watch and "do" at the same time.

It didn't help that I had a miniture pincer on my tummy.  Linda's pup, Ginger...always a ham when a camera is around.  So I watched the DVD and took notes while Linda did the exercises.

Once it was over, we talked about what we liked and didn't like about the DVD and here's our joint review...

The DVD is really choked full of exercises which we really liked, and we loved how Moira really focused on how to do the exercises "the right way".  I never realized how just a few inches could make such a difference. 

What we had trouble with was absorbing all the exercises and positions the first time we watched the video.  The difference between doing the exercises correctly and incorrectly was so subtle, and yet soooo important.  You had to get them "juuuusssst right".  I felt a bit like Goldilocks.

The DVD was like a cross between a bunch of training modules that you could combine into your own program and a training program itself that you could follow in your living room.  With only 4 or 6 reps per exercise, you really didn't get to experience a real "workout".  Moira moved pretty quicky from exercise to exercise, and so we had a little trouble keeping track of them all.  I'm glad I had a notepad.

Linda found the exercises which introduced the golf clubs a bit contrived. She believed you could easily do the same exercises without any prop at all.  So, the clubs weren't necessary, but they might make a golfer feel better about what they were doing. We both agreed, however, that all of the exercises would be beneficial to a golfer.

I think the exercises themselves were excellent and Moira really showed you the right and wrong way to do them - I can definitely see how they would help a golfer get into shape for her/his game.  I just need to watch the DVD more often to learn them all and learn to do them properly. 

Linda and I saw the DVD as really a reference manual of good exercises that you could go back to from time to time to make sure you're doing things correctly.  It's a DVD I will keep in my library for future reference, but I wouldn't put it on time and time again to exercise myself into shape.

Personally, I'm used to fitness DVD's where you warm up, sweat a lot, cool down and shower.  This is not one of those DVD's. After you learn the right way to perform Pilates on the Green, you have to put your own program together using the exercises they teach you.  That's good for all of those energetic and devoted fitness folks, but not for me. 

Frankly, I need someone leading the way, so I'm probably going to take what I learned and try and practice the Pilates for the Green moves, but only after I've finished my sweat workout with my favorite DVD - The Biggest Loser.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com