DEFENDING champion Laura Davies is looking ominous after carding a first round five under 68 to lead the Handa Women’s Australian Open at Melbourne’s Commonwealth Golf Course.

Davies holed a 30 foot birdie putt on her final hole to take a two shot lead over the field.

In second place were Coonabarabran’s Rebecca Flood, Victorian amateur Alison Whittaker, Italy’s Giulia Sergas, Korea’s Soo-Jin Yang, England’s Felicity Johnson and Finland’s Jenni Kuosa.

A shot further back in a tie for 8th is World No 1 amateur, American Alexis Thompson, Australian No.3 Lindsey Wright and Austrian Stefanie Michl.

ANZ Ladies Masters winner Karrie Webb had a tough day, posting a three over par 40 on her outward nine but steadied the ship on the inward nine to finish even.

Her expected rival Katherine Hull was tied for 11th after a four birdie round that finished one under.

Davies was in a confident mood and after starting with a bogey plotted her way around the sandbelt course, often opting for a long iron off the tee.

“I took the decision to hit a couple of three irons that left me long shots in, but because I was swinging so well, I was not scared,” the 46 year old Englishwoman said.

“I had six birdies and a couple of up and downs to save good pars, which you have to do on a course like this. Luckily, I putted very well today.”

“I’ve come in here in a confident mood, thinking I am one of the players with a chance to win if I play well and putt well.”

Marquee players Davies, Webb, Hull, World No 6 Yani Tseng and World No 7, Anna Nordqvist will all tee off in tomorrow’s (Friday’s) afternoon field for the second round.

Television Coverage

ONE HD has second round television coverage from 2.30 to 6.30 pm on Friday and the final rounds will be on both TEN and ONE on the weekend.

Don’t ask us why they don’t have first round coverage (as they didn’t for the Ladies Masters).

As is usually the case with the Australian television system, it will be some (perfectly?) reasonable excuse totally incomprehensible to the average Joe.

It can’t be that ONE had an urgent need to show repeats of the Paintball and BMX instead – whatever it is those shows entail.

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POPULAR Australian golfer Rod Pampling was one of those giving the thumbs up to the announcement today that the Australian PGA Championship will be staying at its Coolum home for the foreseeable future.

Pampling was on the grounds of Brisbane’s Parliament House as a player representative to hear that an agreement including the PGA of Australia, the Queensland Government, the Hyatt Regency Coolum and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council would ensure the event remains at its well loved home for a minimum of three years.

Pampling was glowing in his praise of the Australian PGA Championship, Australia’s oldest professional golf tournament.

“As an Australian and a proud Queenslander I can say on behalf of the players that the Australian PGA Championship is our favourite event,” Pampling said.

“Coolum has such a great family atmosphere and that’s why we keep coming back. To see it continue to grow and succeed is fantastic and we hope to be playing up here for many years to come.”

PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer Max Garske said: “A significant part of the success of the Championship was the fact that we had a tri-partied sponsorship with Queensland Events Corp, the Hyatt Regency Coolum through their owners Lend Lease and with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and we are delighted to expand and continue this relationship for the next three years.”

“Our relationship with the Queensland Government dates back to 2000 and with their support the tournament has grown, attracting quality fields and record crowds and with Coke coming on board in 2009  as a long term presenting sponsor the tournament is in a very secure position moving forward. The strategy for this tournament has always been to engage with the Asia Pacific region. With the formation of the OneAsia Tour in 2009 this event is perfectly placed to realise that major objective.”

Queensland Minister for Sport Phil Reeves said that the Government was thrilled to continue its investment in the award winning event.

“The Queensland Government, through Queensland Events and the PGA of Australia have worked together to renew this fine partnership, and we’re thrilled to keep this great event in Queensland,” Mr Reeves said.

“2010 marks a decade of support for the Championship and in that time the event has celebrated its centenary in 2005; increased its profile as part of the OneAsia Tour; and attracted international broadcast coverage which promotes Queensland around the globe.”

The Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola is again the final event on the Australasian and OneAsia Tours in 2010 and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from December 9-12.

AMERICAN Fred Couples has won his second straight Champions Tour title with Australia’s Peter Senior again in the top 15.

Couples shot a final round six under 65 for a four stroke victory in the Toshiba Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club in California whilst a five birdie front nine helped Senior to a 67.

Both golfers are in their rookie years in the lucrative 50 and over tour.

Couples won the ACE Group Classic on February 14 in Florida and finished second behind Tom Watson in the season-opening event in Hawaii.

“In a good way I am full of confidence in my game,” Couples (66 64 65) said. “I talked to Jay Haas a long time ago and when you are 50 you are the youngest guy out here and if you are a good player like I think I am, I thought I would have some opportunities to win out here.”

Couples finished the tournament 18 under, with Ronnie Black (65) second on14 under, Tom Lehman (69) and Chien Soon Lu (69) tied for third at 12 under, and Watson (62) and Loren Roberts (68) following at 11 under.

Senior (71 68 67) finished at 7 under. He was 11th at the ACE Group Classic, his first Champions Tour event.

NOW that’s what they call an emphatic victory. Karrie Webb has shot a course record 61 to win her 7th ANZ Ladies Master by six strokes at Royal Pines.

Webb’s 26 under total (68 69 64 61) equalled her 1999 PLGA tournament record and she will now go into the Handa Australian Womens Open in Melbourne this week as a firm favourite.

The 36 year old former World No 1 blitzed her playing partners, fellow Queenslander Katherine Hull and Korean Bo-Mee Lee, who finished tied for second on 20 under.

Webb started her final round on Sunday on 15 under, one ahead of her playing partners, but when she holed her nine iron second shot into the cup at the seventh hole for eagle, tournament officials should have known it was time to start searching the record books.

At some point they did. Her seventh win in one tournament was being claimed as a Ladies European Tour record, beating Annika Sorenstam’s six Swedish Opens.

She has also equalled Tiger Woods performance of seven wins at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational but will need one more to equal the PGA’s record of eight wins held by the legendary Sam Snead.

“The quality of golf today you were seeing was unbelievable,” Webb said. “Katherine was pushing me all the way. Every time I thought I’d created some breathing space, she came back with a birdie. I’m actually really, really exhausted.”

”Who would have thought I’d be standing on the 13th tee, eight under for the day and only two shots ahead? I was really starting to struggle and was very mentally tired at that point. My hat’s off to Katherine how she played for inspiring me to get to another level. I knew she was going to bring it all today and she did. One of us was going to break, we couldn’t go on making birdies forever.”

Hull acknowledged Webb’s brilliant performance and was looking forward to round two at the Australian Open at the Commonwealth Golf Club beginning on Thursday.

”It was impressive to watch,” Hull said. ”It was an absolute clinic on Karrie’s part. It was nice that I challenged her there for a bit, but she came home all guns blazing and deserved to win. She played great.”

PORT MACQUARIE local Brian Sams has won the 2010 NSW Senior Amateur Championship with three rounds of consistent golf at his home club.

The long time Port Macquarie Golf Club member finished with a 54 hole total of 218, just five over par.

With the extra expectation, local knowledge isn’t always what it is cracked up to be and Sams did a great job to claim what is his second NSW title, having won the event in 2005.

The strong final round challenges expected from defending champion Bill Banks and winner of last week’s Tasmanian Senior Amateur Championships Stefan Albinski didn’t really eventuate.

Instead, Tura Beach’s Russell Rogers continued his recent good form to take second place 4 strokes behind Sams on 222.

Third place was shared by previous Australian Senior Champion Rick Oliver and fellow NSW player Roy Vandersluis who has now finished in the top five in his last three Australian Senior Ranking events.

Considering the heavy rain earlier in the week, it was a very successful tournament for the Port Macquarie Golf Club, currently celebrating its centenary year.

Walking Stick Trophy
In the Walking Stick Trophy teams event, NSW proved far too strong to win comfortably from Queensland and the Combined States Team, with Victoria 4th.

Leading Scores:
218 Brian Sams 73 70 75
222 Russell Rogers 74 75 73
223 Rick Oliver 79 71 73, Roy Vandersluis 77 74 72
224 Noel Wood 74 75 75
225 Alan Bullas 76 75 74
226 Stefan Albinski 75 74 77, Grahame Macdonald 78 71 77
      Peter King 74 76 76, Ian Read 77 75 74
227 Bill Banks 74 76 77, Terry Jones 75 75 77
      Cliff Chidlow 76 75 75, Denis Dale 81 73 73
      David Limbach 78 77 72

Full 2010 NSW Senior Amateur Golf Championship Results (NSW Golf Association)

TWO weeks of top class women’s golf is off to a fine start at the ANZ  Ladies Masters on the Gold Coast with defending champion Katherine Hull just one stroke behind the leader at the Royal Pines Resort.

Leading the top class international field is 23 year old rookie American Amanda Blumenherst, who fired an opening round 6 under 66.

In bright and breezy conditions there was little sign of the heavy rain that caused the cancellation of the Pro-Am earlier in the week.

Hull was happy with her performance, particularly her back nine where she birdied her 10th, 11th, 12th and 18th holes.

“It was pretty good out there. It was soggy walking off greens and onto tees but overall it was good,” Hull said.

World No 11 and six-time Masters winner Karrie Webb was one of a number of players a shot further back on 4 under 68. This group includes world no. 7 and last year’s LPGA rookie of the year, Anna Nordqvist and the Royal Pines course record holder, Kristie Smith.

The ANZ Ladies Masters will be followed next week by the 2010 Handa Women’s Australian Open, to be played Melbourne’s Commonwealth Golf Club, from March 11-14.

TEN @ ONE HD Television Coverage

Coverage of the Ladies Masters Second Round will be shown on ONE HD from 5.15 pm to 7.30 pm EDST Friday and the final rounds on TEN and ONE from 1pm – 5 pm Saturday and Sunday.

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HUNTER MAHAN, who collecting his second US PGA Tour title with a win at the Phoenix Open this week, credits a lot of his success to Australian born sports psychologist Neale Smith.

Mahan says after his second placing at the 2002 US Amateur he always knew he had the game to win on the tour but needed help with his mental approach.

He turned to NSW south coast born Smith, a former tour player who has worked with a number of top professional golfers.

Neale recommends the following pre-shot routine to help remain cool and play consistent golf.

Step 1:

Collect the appropriate information for the shot. For example, gauge the yardage, the wind, pin placement, etc.
Step 2:

Select the shot that fits the situation and is also something that you’re comfortable with at that time. If you’re not playing your best today, be more conservative.
Step 3:

Imagine or describe what you are about to do. This will help create the intention of what you are going to do.
Step 4:

Connect to the feel needed to produce the shot. Most players connect with their practice swings. Some don’t rehearse at all. Find what works for you.
Step 5:

Aim your clubface, body, eyes and mind. These four key elements must be aligned to start the ball on the line you’ve planned.
Step 6:

Make a trusting motion using the cue that best helps you hit the shot you have planned. It may be a target cue, swing thought, swing feel, rhythm cue, or nothing at all — whatever works best for you. Direct your attention to what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. Fear of the potential result may get in the way of making a smooth, trusting motion.

Comment:

This all sounds like a lot and the last thing a club golfer wants to see is a player in front taking an age with every shot, but an effective routine can be accomplished in a short period of time – many pros only take around 11 to 12 seconds on their pre shot routines. They can even start as you are walking up to the ball.

The whole point is you are approaching every shot with a positive mental attitude, rather than standing their dithering with unwanted worries, distractions or mental wanderings.

TITLEIST has released the latest offerings in its mid price NXT range saying the new NXT Tour and NXT golf balls further advance the company’s technology leadership.

Titleist says the new multi-layer NXT Tour and new solid technology NXT deliver higher performance and longer distance, further establishing each model as benchmarks in their respective categories.

“Based upon comprehensive machine testing, as well as positive feedback captured during player testing with current NXT family loyalists and competitive golf ball users, we have delivered two exciting new ways for golfers to lower their scores,” George Sine, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing and Strategic Planning, Acushnet Company, said.

NEW NXT TOUR: Utilizing advanced multi-layer technology, the New NXT Tour will be longer off the driver and long irons for most golfers, while delivering consistent shot-stopping greenside control, soft feel on all shots and outstanding durability.

It features:
• Large, faster 1.58″ dual core, multi-layer design provides longer distance and soft feel on all shots.
• Soft, thin, more durable Fusablend cover contributes to soft feel and exceptional control into and around the green.
• Conversion to a low-count, high-coverage Tour-proven 332 Icosahedral dimple pattern in seven different sizes combined with a Staggered Wave parting line contributes to enhanced aerodynamics and longer distance off the driver and long irons.
• Tour-validated A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp assists in alignment at address off the tee, as well as when putting.

“The new, advanced design of the NXT Tour offers an outstanding balance of overall high performance and control,” said Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President, Golf Ball Research & Development, Acushnet Company.  “The New NXT Tour pushes the envelope of advanced multi-layer solid core technology, delivering longer distance, soft feel and shot-stopping spin.”

NEW NXT:  The newly designed NXT replaces the NXT Extreme, and improves upon its predecessor’s promise of extreme distance and straight ball flight.  With high speed and low spin, the NXT provides the straightest flight within the Titleist golf ball family, and is also the most durable Titleist golf ball.

• Large and fast 1.575” solid core provides high velocity for extreme distance.
• Ionomer cover contributes to low spin on all shots for long, straight distance.
• Higher coverage 332 Icosahedral multi-dimple pattern combined with a Staggered Wave parting line contributes to enhanced aerodynamics.
• A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp assists in alignment at address off the tee and while putting.
• Cut-proof cover durability.

Shipments will commence mid-late February, 2010.  The suggested retail price of the New NXT Tour will be $57.95 per dozen, while the New NXT will carry a suggested retail price of $45.95.

THE irrepressible Gary Player talks about longevity in golf and also weighs into the debate about the length of some modern golf courses in the latest edition of a new Australian based magazine that focuses on the golf industry.

And when a 74 year old with 164 professional wins starts talking about durability in golf you think he might have something to say on the subject.

“Longevity is the beautiful thing about golf. In most other sports athletes have to retire in their 30”s,” Player says in the latest edition of Golf Industry Central Magazine, a free online publication.

Many ridiculed Players’ fitness routine when he first went on tour in 1953 and the South African says other professionals doubted he had a future.

“…people said Gary Player would never last,” the winner of nine Majors and 19 Champions Tour events says. “I was known as a nut, but now all the modern day players are working out.”

Player also speaks about modern course design and says his philosophy when designing a new venue is to build a course “that the weekend golfer, who is the heart of the game, can enjoy.”

He says club committees should stop trying to build courses for pros with the usual futile aim of attracting major tournaments.

“Think of your members,” Players says. “We have got to build beautiful courses where members, who have been working all week, can come out and relax.”

You can read the full story, and many other interesting articles focussing on the golf industry, by first going to the Golf Industry Central website and downloading the free February magazine edition.

The website, run by golf industry management and operations specialist Mike Orloff, offers a host of international and local golf industry news, job listings and operational advice.

A COURSE RECORD 66 during the second round of the inaugural Handa New Zealand Senior Masters has helped Victorian Mike Harwood continue his winning ways on the over 50’s professional golf circuits.

The reigning European Seniors Tour Rookie of the Year followed up his win in Tasmania earlier in the month with an emphatic 10 under par (206) victory after three rounds of New Zealand’s newest and richest seniors golf tournament.

The event, with a prize purse of NZ$150,000 is part of the PGA Legends Tour and brings the best of Australian and New Zealand senior golfers to the Kiwi mainland.

Unfortunately for the hosts at the Millbrook Country Club, it was a clean sweep by the Aussies with fellow Victorian Michael Clayton finishing strongly with a final round 69 to take second place with a six under par total of 210.

Queenslander Wayne Grady was third a shot further back after a final round 72 with his three birdies offset by three bogeys.

The leading Kiwi was Simon Owen, who finished tied for fourth with New South Welshman Noel Ratcliffe.

New Zealand golfing institution Sir Bob Charles finished in 12th equal placing after a final round of 74.