WHO says Adam Scott can’t putt - he has just holed a 50 footer on the third playoff hole to win the Byron Nelson Championship US PGA Tour event in Texas.

Scott was questioned about his putting before leaving for the US to contest the Masters and join the tour and said he didn’t believe it was a nemesis.

The Queensland golfer said he had been using the one putter for two years and didn’t feel a need to find a new stroke.

“Unlike a lot of guys, I only have six putters in my collection,” he reportedly told an interviewer from Pacific Golfer.

Scott rejected suggestions from some quarters that his putting was the reason he had never won a Major, pointing out he finished 30th in the putting on the US Tour last year.

“I guess it’s because I have had a couple of patches in my career when I have putted poorly,” he said. ‘But then I don’t think that putting poorly got me to number three in the world either.”

Coming into the final round of the $6.83 million Byron Nelson in Dallas, Scott had a three stroke lead but struggled early and frittered it away.

He faced defeat when he trailed American Ryan Moore with one hole left in regulation, but made a three metre birdie putt to force a play off.

Failing take advantage in the first two playoff holes, Scott then faced his monster put. Reportedly, it was almost 16 metres, up over a ridge and downhill to the hole with a couple of metres of break on the way.

When the ball dropped into the back of the cup, Scott had secured his 14th professional victory and sixth on the US PGA Tour, though not quite the way he had planned to finish.

“I dug it out of nowhere,” he said of the putt. “Obviously, I found my range on the third play-off hole. I was hitting it too close on the other ones, so I got away with one, I think, today.”

That particular putter, you would think, is staying in the collection.

NSW golfer Stefan Albinski has led from start to finish to win the 2008 Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at the Royal Perth Golf Club.
The Mona Vale GC member posted a 73 yesterday for a sensational three round total of four under, the only player to beat par.
Albinski was playing in his first Australian Senior Amateur Championship and came home four strokes ahead of West Australian Alex Cleave.
Cleave also shot one over in tricky conditions in the final round on the par 72 tight and challenging Royal Perth Course.
Leading all the way, Albinski (70-69-73) suffered a hiccup when he bogeyed the 11th hole and then saw Cleave (72-71-73) cut the margin to just two with a birdie on the 12th. But the NSW senior kept his composure to take out the title, helped along by a double bogey by Cleave on the 16th.
Fellow NSW player Tony Gresham (78-71-72) and American visitor Norm Swenson Jr (71-75-75) tied for third. Victorian Ross Percy (72-74-76) shared fifth place on 222 with another American visitor Kemp Richardson (73-75-74).
Incredibly, defending 2007 co-champions Denis Dale and Rick Oliver, both also from NSW, again finished the event dead level, scoring 227 and sharing 11th spot with Mark Meares (NSW), Ross Bockman (NSW) and Mal Roberts (WA).
The NSW team of Tony Gresham, Denis Dale, Rick Oliver and Bill Banks narrowly defeated the Western Australian team by two strokes in the State Teams Championship.

Photo: Championship winner Stefan Albinski (left) and runner up Alex Cleave. (Photo courtesy of AUSOOM)

Veterans Golf is played across Australia in a variety of formats.

As well as regular individual competitions conducted by local golf clubs, there are also Weeks of Golf, regional, state and national events.

Veterans golf events are usually open to golfers aged 55 plus who are members of a golf club affiliated with the Australian Golf Union and have a current AGU handicap. Ladies veteran events have similar requirements.

 Each year a national Australian Veteran Golfers Union Championship is held in a different location. In October 2008 the championship will be held in Adelaide.

For individual state calenders of events, qualifying , organisational, contact and other details see the information below.

 Veterans Golf NSW

The NSW Veterans Golfers Association has over 14,000 members and there are 31 group zones, many of which have 10 or 15 smaller groups within each zone. Veteran golf is growing and you can be assured of a great day out wherever you decide to play. You meet all sorts of people, strange characters, brilliant golfers, burglars, academics, businessmen and others from all stations in life, the 19th hole conversation is never dull.

Veteran groups have access to some of the best golf courses in Australia, and you get to play on any, or all of these courses, at our regular regional veteran golf days, at very reasonable rates.

The NSWVGA conducts 35 Annual Weeks of Golf throughout NSW each year. Visit their website for a full calender of events as well as results, contact details and other useful information.

 Golfers aged 55 and over you are eligible to play with the ‘Vets’, the rules are simple and the cost is minimal, $10 to join and annual fees ranging from $5 to $25 per annum thereafter within NSW and the ACT.

To become a member you must be a member of a golf club which is affiliated with the AGU and you must have a club handicap. To actually join up all you need to do is find out when and where the next ‘vets golf day’ is being held and turn up.

 NSW Veteran Golfers Association website

Veterans Golf Queensland

The Queensland Veteran Golf Union comprises 21 Districts stretching from Cairns to the Tweed. The Union has around 7000 members from over 100 golf clubs and in addition to the two major State Championships around 50 open events are held throughout the State each year.

To become a veteran golfer you must be a male member of a golf club affiliated with the Australian Golf Union, be over 55 years and have a current AGU handicap.

Membership can be arranged through your nearest District Secretary, as listed on their website.

Queensland Veteran Golf Union website

Veterans Golf Victoria

The VVGA was formed in 1982 and now consists of 21 Districts from all parts of Victoria. Each District has their own autonomy and culture and are affiliated with the VVGA. Today there are almost 5000 veteran members in Victoria and 30000 in Australia.

Monthly fixtures are conducted by the 21 veteran districts at over 250 golf clubs. Open VVGA Championships are conducted at 5 different locations annually. The Four Ball, Country, Sandscrape, Teams and State events make up the VVGA Majors. VVGA supported events are conducted at 10 locations annually and Interstate events are readily available.The Bill Mead International Match Play is played annually at Rich River under the auspices of the AVGU and VVGA.
Joining the Veterans is easy all you need to be is 55 years of age and a member of a golf club affiliated with the VGA or VGL. Simply contact your local District Secretary listed in the Contact section of their website.

 Victorian Veteran Golfers Association website

Veterans Golf South Australia

The South Australian Veteran Golfers Association caters for all golfers who belong to a recognised golf club and wish to partake in regular competitions played on golf courses around the city and in country towns. Extended tours are also organised.

To join members must have reached the age of 55. The joining fee is $5.00, and yearly membership is $10.00.

All games are ’shot-gun starts’, where members must report to the starter 30 minutes before hit-off time, which is, on most occasions, 9.00am. Competition is in three grades. “A” handicap 1-16; “B” 17-21; “C” 22-32. In addition there are nearest the pin holes.

From the 12th to 17th October the SAVGA will be hosting the Australian Veteran Golfers Union National Championships in Adelaide.

South Australian Veteran Golfer’s Association website

Veterans Golf Western Australia

 The Western Australian Veteran Golfers Association Inc. was founded in 1982. It encourages fellowship amongst players while playing at each others’ courses weekly throughout the year.
To be eligible for Membership of the “Vets” you must be over 55 and be a member of a WAGA affiliated A or C class golf club.

Nominate through your club representative or contact the Secretary with an initial fee of $45. This covers joining fee, badge, tie, plus the annual membership subscription. Following year’s subscription is $15.The golfing season commences on the first week of February with weekly games, mostly on Mondays, through to the first week of December.

An annual five day South West Tour is organised in October, including golf at some of the most exciting courses in the South West, including wives and partners, in a stimulating week of golf.
The Country Veteran Golfers Association conducts monthly golf competitions and operates in the South West area of the State.

Western Australia Veterans Golfers Association website

Defending Australian Open Champion Craig Parry and world number five Geoff Ogilvy have confirmed they will be starters when the tournament returns to Royal Sydney Golf Club later this year.
The official Royal Sydney announcement was made at a media conference this week. The 93rd Australian Open will run from December 11 to 14.
In a pre-recorded interview, Craig Parry said he was delighted the open was returning to Royal Sydney, as it is a course he loves, but, “It doesn’t love me, though. I’ve never seemed to play well around there.”
Golf Australia chief executive officer Tony Hallam announced the triumphant return this week and is confident the field will be brimming with the best of home-grown talent.
“We have every expectation that all of the leading Australian players will be back to participate at Royal Sydney in the 2008 Australian Open,” Hallam said.
Hallam spoke to the nine Australians competing in the US Masters in Augusta last week and is confident the likes of Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley will be back.
“We have the strongest group ever of Australian players, we have two in the top-10 (in the official world golf rankings), three in the top-20, 12 in the top-100,” he said.
Hallam did not rule out attempts to secure selected non-Australian stars of the USPGA Tour and said moves to lure players of interest had already begun.
“We had about 30 international players last year and we certainly had some positive discussions last week,” he said.
“But it’s very early in the year in terms of their schedules but I think one of the discussions with a very leading player last week, he knew the Open was in Sydney, he knew where it was being played.”
“The players are already talking about it.”

Golf Australia could be looking for a new chairman of its Open championship, with the position recently vacated by Paul McNamee. McNamee has departed to take up the role of CEO at the struggling Melbourne Demons AFL club.
Hallam is reported to have said no decision had been made to replace McNamee.
“Paul has done a wonderful job over the past couple of years and he is leaving us as a good friend of golf and Golf Australia in particular. Paul’s role was actually part-time, so there was a lot of work done around Paul by our team, and we’re looking for them to step up into additional roles. At this stage, we are not specifically looking to replace Paul.”

A replacement is definitely needed by Golf Australia for a major naming rights sponsor to replace MFS. The financial company is in dire straights with its shares suspended from the Stock Exchange.

 UPDATE 20/5/2008

World Number 4 Adam Scott and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvey have confirmed they will be joining defending champion Craig Parry at the 2008 Australian Open.

Unfortunately, Aaron Baddeley will miss the event. His wife Richellle is expecting thier first child in November and he has decided he will not be returning to Australia to play in any tournaments at the end of the year.

Gary Player kissed the turf as he left the 18th green after completing his second round in his record breaking appearance at the 208 US Masters.
The three time winner said he would be back next year after carding a 78, improving on his 83 in the first round.
“I went out today and said to myself, ‘If I can break 80, I’ll come back next year,” Player said.
The night before the final round, Player rang his South African protege and eventual winner Trevor Immelman to tell him he was sure he was going to take out the title.
US television network commentator Nick Faldo made much of the fact that Player had previously expressed the view that Immelman had a swing the closest he had seen to the great Ben Hogan.
The network also displayed a photo of Player holding a five year old Immelman in his arms.
Player left an overnight voice message for Immelman saying: “Take your time and keep your eyes on the ball for an extra second on the putts. There will be bad breaks but I know you will win.”

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Titleist says it went to lots of trouble to test its new DT Carry and DT Roll golf balls with “average golfers”.

The company claims the new balls are the most targeted and “average player validated” Titleist DT products in the microbrand’s 30 plus year history. 

It must have been an exhaustive search by Titleist just to find enough “average players” to test the balls on. Where I play regularly nearly everyone is a champion (apart from a couple of hackers nobody likes to mention). In a recent media release the company unfortunately didn’t supply any photos of the “average players” so we could determine how right they got it. I know exactly what “average players” look like.

Nevertheless, Titleist says the new range enhances the performance for DT loyalists, average and recreational golfers, as well as competitive golf ball users, by providing two distinct approaches to distance - longer distance through greater carry and longer distance through greater roll - based on the average golfer’s varied and diverse launch characteristics.

“The positioning of the New DT Carry and DT Roll was derived from some of our most extensive product validation, target golfer feedback and consumer insights to date,” said George Sine, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing and Strategic Planning.  “A common thread throughout the research was that average and recreational golfers wanted the products to speak to their needs, with distance optimisation serving as the most apparent, while still providing exceptional feel for greenside control and accuracy.”

Wow to that.

ASG likes the existing Titleist So Lo balls, and even more the much more expensive Titleist Pro VI balls when we happen to find a good one and we live in hope that one day a nice company like Titleist will give us some. We’d be sure to mention it.

We’re so fond of Titleist golf balls we’ll publish most of the details of their recent press release below. This is one more decision for “average golfers” to make: more roll or more carry?

DT Carry:  Longer Distance Through Greater Carry
The New DT Carry golf ball combines new, large and soft core technology with a new, high lift 252 dimple design, delivering greater carry distance through a higher ball flight for golfers with low launch.
- Large 1.595″ low density, soft polybutadiene core for longer distance.
- Large dimple, 252 icosahedron design aerodynamics in four different sizes for higher ball flight and greater carry.
- Soft, Surlyn cover for increased spin and greenside control.
- New, staggered wave parting line.
- New, A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp.

 - Cut-proof guarantee.

DT Roll:  Longer Distance Through Greater Roll
The New DT Roll golf ball combines new, soft and resilient core technology with a lower trajectory 392 dimple design, delivering longer distance via penetrating ball flight and greater roll.
- High velocity, 1.565″ polybutadiene core for longer distance.
- Low trajectory, 392 icosahedron dimple design aerodynamics in five different sizes for lower ball flight and increased roll.
- New, staggered wave parting line.
- New, A.I.M. sidestamp.
- Soft, Surlyn cover with cut-proof guarantee.

“History of the DT Golf Ball:  The equity of and established loyalty to the Titleist DT microbrand is unprecedented in the golf ball category and is rivalled only by its flagship Pro V1 and aspirational NXT microbrands. 

Since its inception in 1974 as the longest wound Surlyn golf ball which was supported by “just like the Pro’s favourite ball only tougher” positioning, the Titleist DT has stood for quality and consistency for over 30 years.  Throughout its existence, the DT acronym has evolved from the Durable Titleist to the Distance Titleist, all the while remaining constant in delivering long distance, optimum performance and cut-proof durability for its designated target audience.  More than three decades later and with over 1 billion DT golf balls sold worldwide, Titleist launches the next generation of the “red box” legacy in the tandem form of New DT Carry and New DT Roll.

“Respecting the needs and opportunities for average golfers, we involved the target audience throughout the New DT Carry and DT Roll development process from the initial concept stage through the product validation stage,” added Sine.  “Presently, no golf ball brand has afforded attention to - nor committed the necessary research and consumer input - to determine what is best for the games of the moderate to slow swing speed golfer.”

Titleist consulted over 3,000 Titleist DT loyalists and/or average and recreational golfers before finalising what ultimately became DT Carry and DT Roll golf balls.   

“The New DT Carry and DT Roll are golf balls created by the average for the average golfer,” said Sine.  “From product to naming and packaging to advertising, the average golfer will relate to and appreciate the New DT Carry and DT Roll products as they reflect their input, recommendations and cited requirements as to how we could add more distance and performance to their games.”
 
Research and Concept Validation:  Three major player tests were conducted toward determining the direction for the next generation DT golf ball models.  An overwhelming majority of these golfers, those who typically hit their drives in the 200-yard range, said they could, in fact, discern a distinct difference between the two options.  However, there was a clear split as to the best way they could achieve the distance and performance utopia they were seeking, with half citing a preference for the higher ball flight of the DT Carry and half for the lower ball flight of the DT Roll.

“The DT Carry and DT Roll two-model strategy addresses a sizeable opportunity for average golfers to optimise their distance and playability,” added Sine.  “Most importantly and impressively, consumers embraced the benefits and value of having two distinct product options available.  The ultimate credibility of our strategy was realised when several consumers cited that they genuinely felt that Titleist was the first brand to make such a dedicated effort on their behalf.”

Features and Benefits:  Many golfers within the moderate to lower swing speed segment desire and require a shot shape, trajectory or visible point of difference toward achieving maximum distance.  The objective for the Titleist DT Carry is to provide a higher flying DT product option suited for those that prefer or require more carry to achieve more distance.  The objective for DT Roll is to provide a DT product option with a lower trajectory and more piercing ball flight suited for moderate to lower swing speed golfers that prefer or require more roll to achieve added distance.  An additional benefit of the distinct performance attributes of the carry biased or roll biased offerings is the flexibility for golfers who encounter different course conditions during their travels to various golf courses.

Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President, Golf Ball Research and Development, Acushnet Company, explained the technology behind the new products: “The cores of the DT Carry and DT Roll are vastly different and contribute to the distinctly different flight characteristics of each.  The low density core of the DT Carry lowers the effect of gravity, and in combination with a softer Surlyn cover, contributes to the increased lift.  Conversely, the high velocity core of the DT Roll lowers the launch and contributes to its penetrating ball flight and increased roll.”

Three times US Masters winner Gary Player has lined up for his record 51 Masters.

The South African golfer has gone past Arnold Palmer for the most number of Masters played.

Player, now 72, is also celebrating the 30^th anniversary of his 1978 title. He also won in 1961 and 1974 and was runner up in 1962 and 1965.

To win the 1978 title, Player scored a final round 64 including seven birdies in his last 10 holes. Today at Augusta, he scored a creditable 83.

No, he is not going to challenge Tiger Woods or anyone else for the title this year or the next, but the point is, he is still having a helluva time playing golf at 72 years of age.

Whether you are 25 or 65, that is something to aspire to. Over time, ASG hopes to find out how he, and others like him, does it.

In rugby, you are eligible for “Golden Oldies” at 35, in golf, you just keep on, and on and on……

Gary Players other career highlights include:

• First US Masters international champion.
• Holds three British Open titles, 1959, 1968 and 1974. 1965
• US Open champion. 1962 and 1972 PGA champion.
• One of only five men to win golf’s modern grand slam.
• Winner of the South African Open 13 times.
• Won South African PGA three times
• Won the Australian Open seven times.
• Recipient of the 1966 Bob Jones Award presented by the USGA for distinguished sportsmanship in golf.
• A total of 24 PGA TOUR and 19 Champions Tour titles.
• Won a Tour event in five straight decades.
• Served as Captain of the international squad at the 2003, 2005 and 2007 Presidents Cup. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Playing in his 51 Masters.

An older golfer playing as a single at Pebble Beach was teamed with a twosome. After a few holes, the twosome finally asked why he was playing such a beautiful golf course by himself. He replied that he and his wife had played the course every year for over 20 years but this year she had passed away. He said he had decided to keep the tee time in her memory. The twosome commented that they thought certainly someone would have been willing to take her spot. “So did I,” the older golfer said, “but they all wanted to go to the funeral.”