PHIL MICKELSON and TIGER WOODS both walked away with some nice trophies and a little more than loose change following the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Mickelson produced an almost flawless final round to secure a three stroke victory over Woods at the $A8.66 million Tour Championship, while Woods received a $A11.55 million consolation prize for winning the US PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, the season long points race.

Mickelson shot a brilliant five under par 65in the Tour, eclipsing four stroke overnight leader Kenny Perry.

Crazy Phil’s nine-under 271 clinched his third victory of the year, while Woods comparatively “plodded” a 70 to finish runner-up on six-under. “It feels great to have won,” Mickelson said after collecting $A1.56 million for his victory plus  another $A3.47 million for finishing runner-up in the FedEx.

Golf has not been his primary focus this year, with both his wife and mother diagnosed with breast cancer. He says the prognosis for both is good.

 “This wasn’t a banner year,” he said. “This makes it a better year than it was. It’s been a frustrating last few months. Long term, both Amy and my mother are going to be great.”
For Woods, he could celebrate six victories this year after coming back from knee surgery – but there was still something missing.
“To have played as well as I have and as consistent as I have is something I’m very proud of,” Woods said. ““I wish I could have got a major in there. Hopefully next year I can put it together at the right times.”
John Senden was the best of the Australians, with his final round 71 putting him equal 10th on even-par 280.
Geoff Ogilvy (70) was two shots further back and equal 16th, while Marc Leishman lost momentum and finished with a disappointing 78, coming home ahead of only one player at 12-over.

FOUR places in Australia’s professional senior golf tour will be up for grabs in the new year.

The 2010 PGA Legends Tour Qualifying School will be played from 10th - 13th January at Camden Lakeside Golf Club in New South Wales.

The qualifying school is played as a 54 hole stroke event with all competitors required to complete all three rounds.

The 2010 PGA Legends Tour Qualifying School is open to:

i) All professional golfers who are 50 years of age on or before 31 March 2010; and

ii) All amateur golfers who are 50 years of age on or before 31 March 2010, with a handicap of 3.4 or less.

The Legends Tour of the PGA of Australia comprises of over 50 events covering the eastern seaboard of Australia to New Zealand with the total prize money being $1.2 Million.

The Legends Tour has continued steady growth in recent times with an increase in the number of events and prize money. This can be attributed to well known names in Australian golf such as Rodger Davis, Bob Shearer, Mike Harwood, Mike Clayton and Wayne Grady participating in many of the events.

It is a requirement that players must be over 50 years of age to compete on this tour.

Current plans are to increase the total number of events to 60, increase the prize money pool to $1.4 million, a possible event being staged in China and to keep attracting not just local players but also overseas players to ensure an increasingly competitive environment.

BEN CRENSHAW, for decades revered as one of golf’s best putters, has shared some simple putting tips with an emphasis on keeping it loose and natural.

As a simple fix, Crenshaw says nine out of 10 golfers hold the putter too tightly.

“Putting is fingers and hands and eyes and imagination,” he says in the video below. “Knowing what your backstroke and follow through will do and how to get it up there in the right way.

“But nine times out of 10 I think most people just grab the club too tightly,” the 57 year old says.

“If they will just back off their grip pressure just a little bit, what it does is make the club head feel heavier and therefore it swings more.

“The tighter you hold the club the less apt that putter head will swing.

“So it should be held as a delicate instrument because you are doing delicate work.”

“You have to be yourself to putt”

“Anything works in putting. You have to be yourself to putt. I think Harvey Penick made the best statement I ever heard he said never look like anyone else when you are putting.

“I always thought that was interesting because you’ll see a successful technique and then you’ll want to try that.

There’s fine putters in the world and they always seem like the ball is just going around the cup. You know, they are not going way past.

“But what that is is a trust in their own ability. They’re not worried about style or technique.

“There is no substitute for hitting the ball solidly and staying down through it”

“The thing is there is no substitute for hitting the ball solidly and staying down through it. But you know most people can get over it. It’s just stand over the ball naturally.

“So, be natural be yourself but the pace of the putt is most often more important that the line. Try for pace, pace is vital.”

RUTH DAY, a 64 year old retiree golfer with a handicap of 35, has defied the golfing gods by scoring two holes-in-one during one round at her local golf club in northern England.

Estimated at odds of better than 67 million to one, Day managed the feat at Whitley Bay Golf Club, where she is a member.

“A hole in one in itself is usually pretty amazing,” she told The Journal newspaper in northeast England last week. “But I couldn’t believe it when I did the same thing 10 holes further on.”

Day, who has been playing golf for about 10 years, shot her first ace on the 149-yard third hole. She added the second on the 161-yard 13th.

“The first time it happened, my friend was the one saying ‘It’s going in. It’s going in,’ but I was relatively ambivalent,” Day said. “Then the lads in front put their thumbs up to say it had gone in. I was pleased because it was my first hole in one.

“It was the second one that was really amazing because it was a more difficult hole. We saw it turn and then we went searching for it round the back to see where it was. We couldn’t find it, and after a while we found it - in the hole.”

The grandmother-of-eight occasionally plays in competitions, and earlier this month  won a prize for the longest drive.

She said: “I have been playing for about 10 years. But some people go through their whole life and never get a hole in one.

“I think there’s only a very small number of people around the world who have done it twice in one round.”

LEADING qualifier Josie Ryan (Headland) has won the 2009 Queensland Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Bargara Golf Club, winning the final 6&4 over Fay Payne (Caboolture).

Dominant all week following a remarkable two-under par second round in the Stroke Play qualifying section, Ryan remained solid throughout the championship, winning her matches convincingly and getting her name on the inaugural event’s trophy.

Making the turn at 3up today, Ryan continued her good form and won the 14th hole to take the title.

Payne played well throughout the week, knocking out number two qualifier Wendy O’Connell in the semi finals yesterday, but Ryan proved too strong and is a deserving Champion.

The Championship also combined a B Grade division, as well as 55 - 64 Years and 65 Years and over divisions.

The results of the other finals today were:

65 Years and Over - Joan Melksham (Maryborough) defeated Bale Lee (Virginia) - 3&2

55 - 64 Years - Fran Taylor (Bargara) defeated Helen Chittock (Virginia) - 5&4

B Grade - Ann Ford (Bargara) defeated Dawn Clements (Bargara) - 5&4

The Bargara Golf Course proved to be a fantastic venue for the event, located next to the beach just a short distance from Bundaberg in the Wide Bay area.

The venue and dates for 2010 will be announced soon.

(Information & photo courtesy of Golf Queensland. For full results click here)

TaylorMade has launched a new Raylor rescue club it says is the “ultimate secret weapon for getting out of the rough.”

The new golf club is named after a highly popular utility club released by TaylorMade in 1988 designed to get wayward tee shots out of the rough and onto the green.

If your home course or one you play regularly has lots of rough or is exceptionally undulating, it could be the perfect club to add to your bag.

“Twenty-one years of making metalwoods has allowed us to engineer the new Raylor to hit the ball higher, longer and straighter from tall grass,” said Tom Olsavsky, TaylorMade senior director of metalwood creation. “It’s the ultimate weapon for getting out of the rough.”

The Raylor, which is available in lofts of 19° and 21°, is designed with a slightly sharp, slightly pointed leading edge that TaylorMade says allows golfers to slide the face through the grass and onto the back of the ball more effectively.

Also, the sole of the clubs is shaped like a ship’s hull, sloping upward at the sides and this also helps to guide the club glide more easily through rough.

According to the TaylorMade, these two features reduce the area that would normally hinder the club in the rough by 23%.

They say the Raylor sole also helps golfers hit the ball solidly from sidehill lies because of its sole radius.

Whereas the sole radius of a Burner Rescue hybrid presents an angle of about 10 degrees up from horizontal, the Raylor’s angle is 17 degrees.

That means that the Raylor hybrid boasts 70% more sole relief on the heel and toe side compared to a typical Rescue club, which makes it dramatically easier to make solid contact with the ball when the ball is above or below your feet.

The Raylor is equipped with a RE*AX 65-gram shaft that’s one inch longer than typical for TaylorMade Rescue clubs of equal lofts, to promote the added clubhead speed and leverage to help get the ball out of thick lies.

Both Kenny Perry and Fred Funk tried out the then prototype TaylorMade Raylor clubs at this year’s US Open and found it effective in battling Bethpage’s deep wet rough.

TaylorMade says the Raylor is beneficial to golfers of all levels and is the sort of club to add to the bag when conditions warrant.

 “It should be kept on hand to replace a long-iron, hybrid or fairway wood when you play a course with significant rough, or maybe an exceptionally undulating track where severe sidehill lies are frequent,” Olsavsky said. “Point being that the Raylor isn’t necessarily an everyday club, but rather is a great weapon to have on hand when conditions call for it.”

The Raylor hybrid golf club becomes is now available at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $229.

RISING golfing star Marc Leishman is a hot favourite to make Australian golf history this year by being named the country’s first US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

The 25 year old Australian also realised a boyhood dream this week by qualifying for the US Masters next year.

His tie for second placing in the $8.69 million BMW Championship in Chicago on Sunday catapulted him into qualifying for the top-30 US PGA Tour Championship at No. 16 in the FedExCup standings.

His place in the 30 man Tour Championship means he is now automatically exempt for next year’s US Masters, US Open at Pebble Beach and British Open at St Andrews.

”It’s hard to wipe the smile off my face at the minute,” Leishman said after finishing second to his final day playing partner Tiger Woods on Sunday. ”The Masters, [it] has always been a dream to play that. We used to set the alarm at 4.30 in the morning to watch it when I was back home as a kid (in Warrnambool). If I’m home, I still do.”

Leishman’s tie with Jim Furyk was his best finish of his US Tour career. He has made 17 weekend cuts in 25 events this year with three top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes, earning about $2 million.

He would be the first Australian to be named US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in its 19 year history.

Leishman was originally due to play in the second last group on Sunday but due to heavy fog, play was delayed 90 minutes and the draw re-shaped with a two-tee start.

”I got a text message about 7.30 in the morning saying we had a group change and I was now with Tiger, so it worked out pretty well [that I] didn’t have to sleep on that,” Leishman said. ”I said to Matty [Kelly, his caddie and a mate from Warrnambool GC] walking down the first, ‘This is what we play golf for - in the last group on Sunday, playing with Tiger.’

”Just to play with him is awesome. He’s a great bloke to play with, really friendly and up for a chat. For my first time playing in a group with Tiger, I was really happy with how it went. And to go bogey-free as well was even better. He was really happy for me getting in the Tour Championship,” Leishman said.

Leishman has brought a home at Virginia Beach, near Washington DC, and is now settled in the US. Just a couple of weeks ago became engaged to a local Virginia Beach girl, Audrey Hills.

They plan to marry early next year but the Australian has now specified the only dates definitely not available for the wedding will be US Masters week.

A NEW weekly free to air Australian golf show will premiere on Network Ten’s 24 hour sport channel ONE in late October.

AFL commentator and sports guru Andrew Maher will host the locally produced show which the network says will cover a variety of topics that will appeal to golfers of all ages and abilities.

The PGA of Australia will partner with ONE to bring the show, ‘The Pro Shop’ to viewers on Tuesday nights, with the first season extending to the conclusion of 2010’s first Major Championship, the 2010 Masters from Augusta National.

In a media release today, the PGA said it would work closely with sports commentator Maher on the content of the show as they continue to strive to promote and grow all aspects of the game in Australia.

As well as full previews and reviews of all the major domestic Tournaments, the show will analyse and test the latest equipment, visit and review a host of golf courses and golf travel destinations, talk to leading professionals, meet celebrities who share a passion for golf as well as provide useful tips, hints and drills to improve your game.

Max Garske, CEO of the PGA of Australia said the introduction of The Pro Shop would boost the PGA’s thriving relationship with Network Ten with golf fans ultimately the big winners.

“We are very excited about the launch of ‘The Pro Shop’ which in conjunction with the increased tournament coverage Network Ten will deliver this summer will ensure that golf lovers at all levels will be catered for. We look forward to working together in our desire to serve the golf fans what they have asked for –the highest level of golf coverage ever.”

David White, Network Ten General Manager of Sport, said the show was part of the Network’s strategy to provide more sporting lifestyle content to Australian sports lovers.

“Along with our extensive live sport offerings we believe that sports fans want to learn about different sports and how to incorporate them into their lives. This show will have something for the casual golfer right through to the dedicated serious golfer.”

Opportunities exist for ‘The Pro Shop’ to include your course, venue, personnel or equipment on the show. If you would like more information or have any story ideas please email theproshop@networkten.com.au

TWO of Australia’s best club pros will get a shot at the big time with a start in the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum.

The chance to play alongside the likes of Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy and the cream of Australasian golf will be an added bonus for the top two finishers at next week’s PGA Professionals Championship, which will tee off on Wednesday at the Sandhurst Club in Victoria.

The PGA Professionals Championship, an evolution of the previous Club Pro Championship, is the PGA of Australia’s premier vocational members event.

Next Friday afternoon will not only herald the crowning of the 2009 Champion but will see who gets to line up for the Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Regency.

“This is a great opportunity for our vocational members to get a chance to line up and mix it with the best, particularly this year as we are now a part of the OneAsia Series,” said Max Garske, CEO of the PGA of Australia.

“Our members at all levels are getting more and varied opportunities to play in big events and we are delighted to be able to provide this added incentive and opportunity for our members.”

The national title for PGA vocational (club based & industry) members will be held at Sandhurst for the first time from September 14-18 and pits 50 of Australia’s best club professionals against each other to battle for a prize purse of $AUS60,000 over three rounds (54 holes).

After qualifying events were held in July in Queensland followed by other state qualifying events in August, the field is now determined and will be led by last year’s Club Pro Champion Bryan Roach.

Roach returns to defend the crown he won for the first time at Twin Waters last year. The 38 year old shot a sizzling 11-under par over two rounds to claim the title by two shots from New South Welshman Graeme Stockley with Queenslander Lee Hunt coming in third.

Featuring this year are 2009 State Qualifying Champions David Gammon from Kogarah Golf Club in NSW, Jason Russell from Launceston Golf Club in Tasmania, Michael Sprengel from Kooyonga Golf Club in South Australia, Russell Smith from Jindalee Golf Club in Queensland,  local talent Alex Tahin from Eastern Golf Club in Victoria and Tony Mills from Wembley Golf Complex in WA.  

For 38 year old Mills, who spends the majority of his week teaching whilst working on his own game, the chance to line up at Coolum in December is enough to get him fired up for next week’s event. A former touring professional from 1993-2001 Mills never played the Australian PGA Championship and is using that unfulfilled ambition as an added incentive.

“I’ve just started to play well recently and am feeling a lot more confident in my game so I am really looking forward to next week. It will be my first PGA Pros Final and it’s always been a goal of mine to win the national title,” said Mills. “Now that I know the Australian PGA Championship spots are up for grabs its even greater reason for me to fulfill another goal I always had.”

The 2009 PGA Professionals Championship is proudly supported by three presenting sponsors in Coca-Cola, Club Car and Acushnet (with brands Titleist, Footjoy and Cobra).