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For a guy that didn’t necessarily deserve a spot at the Presidents Cup, Mike Weir sure played well. There was a lot of controversy about Mike Weir being on the international team, but Gary Player had enough confidence in Weir to put him up against Tiger Woods on the final day of the event.

And Weir did not disappoint.

The Canadian played extremely well in front of his home-crowd in Montreal. Regardless of the American team’s dominating play, Weir still gave the Canadian crowd enough to cheer about, beating Woods by one stroke in the main match of the tournament. His birdie on the 17th hole drove the Canadian crowd to cheer louder than ever before. “It’s overwhelming,” said Weir.

The Americans won the competition by five matches, 19.5-14.5.

After a great start to the Presidents Cup, the American team was stuck in the deep end on Day 2. In fact, Woody Austin symbolized the American’s drowning efforts by falling in the water himself on this difficult day.

After Woody Austin and his playing partner, David Toms, both played their shots into the water on the 14th hole, Austin decided to attempt playing his ball from the shallow end. Unfortunately for Woody, but funny for everybody else, he lost his balance on the shot and fell face-first into the water.

The international team was able to win four matches on the day and make the Presidents Cup a much closer battle than it seemed after Thursday’s round. Heading into the weekend, the Americans still lead 7-5, but the momentum has swayed. The upcoming rounds should provide a lot of excitement, although nothing will likely compare to the sight of seeing Woody Austin going for a swim.

Yahoo Sports had an article on Friday about two golfers who each had a hole-in-one - on the same hole!

“I’ve never heard of that happening anywhere in the world,” Jim Woods, director of golf at the club said Thursday, a day after the dual aces were recorded on the club’s Banks Course. “Two balls on the same hole in the same group is pretty impressive.”

Neither of the the golfers had ever made a hole-in-one before, but somehow they were both able to complete this incredible task, one after the other.

Thomas Brady, of Lopatcong N.J., was the first to tee off on the 179 yard par 3. His shot landed about 30 feet away from the pin before rolling in. The group was ecstatic, high-fiving each other and jumping around.

Next up was Dennis Gerhart of Point Pleasant. His shot landed in a similar area as Brady’s shot and seemed close, but not in. However, when they pulled up they saw both balls in the hole!

“It was just utterly incredible,” Gerhart said.

The odds of this happening back to back is 17 million to 1, according to an article by Golf Digest from 2000.

A putter is the most important club in golf. If you aren’t comfortable with your putter, then your score will be much worse that what you’re capable of.

In order to select a putter that works for you it is important to know which kind of material you prefer. If you’re not sure, then it will be a trial-and-error process to find out. I suggest you go to a local golf store and practice putting with a variety of clubs until you figure it out.

You should also keep in mind the shape that you prefer the putter head to be; it is usually either a blade or a mallet. Again, this choice will have to be made by trying the different styles out. While doing this, you’ll also notice a difference between clubs regarding the positioning of the shaft on the club head. The best balance is found when the shaft that connects with the middle of the head. However, with this as well, you must find a club that you feel confident with.

There are hundreds of different preferences when it comes to the style of the putter people use. In the end, some people will say one thing and other people another. But all that matters is that you are comfortable with the putter you are using. If you’re not, then it’s time for you to go shopping.

The PGA has announced that there will be a drug policy brought into effect in 2008.

Before this policy is brought into effect, there is going to be an educational program for the players to  learn about what substances will be banned before transitioning into testing later on in the year.

Golf, typically assumed to be one of the least likely sports to have a problem with steroid use, has come under recent attacks for being so slow to put something together.

While it isn’t expected to cause any problems it is still a necessary move considering the troubles that other sports have discovered through testing.

What are your thoughts? Is this a good move by the PGA?

On September 16, a new era in golf began with a very familiar name leading the way. The FedEx Cup, the first ever trophy given in a PGA-playoff event, was awarded to Tiger Woods.

Woods accumulated the most points throughout the four events to not only win THE TOUR Championship, but to also secure the playoff trophy on the same day. It was the first time in Woods career that he was able to win two prestigious awards on the same day.

The FedEx Cup combined the Barclays, the Deutsche Bank Championship, the BMW Championship, and THE TOUR Championship. The final results were as follows:

1. Tiger Woods, 123,033
2. Steve Stricker, 110,455
3. Phil Mickelson, 109,357
4. Rory Sabbatini, 105,192
5. K.J. Choi, 103,765
6. Aaron Baddeley, 103,350
7. Zach Johnson, 102,872
8. Mark Calcavecchia, 102,068
9. Sergio Garcia, 101,076
10. Vijay Singh, 101,064

The PGA Tour site provides a helpful explanation for how the points system was structured.

According to Golf.com, Tiger Woods has decided to skip the PGA Grand Slam of Golf that is coming up in Bermuda. Although USA will surely miss him at the tournament, his reason for leaving is definitely excusable.

Woods has decided to take his longest break from golf since being a pro in order to spend some time with his young daughter, who is only a few months old.

Woods will still play at the Presidents Cup in Montreal, which starts in two weeks. After that, however, he’ll be gone until early December.

The PGA Grand Slam will surely miss Woods, who always brings a crowd of followers with him wherever he goes. It does, however, allow somebody else a turn to win the event - something that Woods has done every time he’s participated in it.

It’s sure to be a great show, one that Woods himself may enjoy watching on TV. There will be great competition with Masters champion Zach Johnson, US Open winner Angel Cabrera, British Open champion Padraig Harrington, and last year’s runner-up Jim Furyk. For more information about the event, check out the official site.

With the popularity of Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie, more and more kids are picking up the game of golf.  If you want to help your child learn this great game, you are not alone.  The Family Golf Association says “”No other sport or activity bridges the gap between age and ability as easily,” claims their literature.”On the golf course, every member of the family is on equal ground. You can be eight or eighty…male or female…a novice player or a low handicapper…and still enjoy playing the game together.”

Starting to play golf at an early age will be much easier than picking up when you are a bit older.  By taking lessons when one is young, bad habits won’t form and learning a proper swing and putt will come much easier.

To help your son or daughter learn the game you have some options.  First, there are plenty of golf camps that can be attended for a week at a time, usually in the summer.  There are also lots of local clubs that offer lessons – give one of them a call to see if they have group or individual lessons that cater to children.  Most have lessons for varying age groups.  Lastly, there are always golf videos or computer games; while not getting you or your child out on the course, they will keep the game top of mind.  Good luck in developing your new little ‘Tiger”!

Forget ‘Being Like Mike’ – every golfer wants to Be Like Tiger!  Admit it, watching Tiger Woods play keeps your attention rapt and in awe.  How could a human being play so well?  If you will notice Tiger’s game, not only is he talented in the sport of golf, but he has some internal qualities, certainly developed over time, that make him so great.

Like his incredible focus.  Tiger has the ability to re-focus and re-group. After poor play, you can almost see him giving himself a reality check to get back into the game.  He slows everything down. He thinks about what each shot, and sometimes for so long you wonder what he is doing.  He is visualizing the shot and focusing on the target.

Tiger never gives up. He knows that anything can happen in the game of golf. The pressure and mental aspect of golf that is put on the players in the lead, or expected to win, can be unbearable.  If Tiger was someone who gave up when he was playing poorly, he wouldn’t be in the top ten in the majority of tournaments he plays in.

So, beyond your own physical ability, remember Tiger’s tricks.  It’s a mental game, almost as much as it is a physical one.  Never quit.  Give yourself permission to make mistakes.  Forget your last bad shot.  Just swing, don’t think too much about the mechanics.  And focus, focus, focus!

Golf has become an extremely popular sport for women. If you are one of the millions of women who enjoy the game, here are some tips for you to improve your game!

Tip #1 - Go into a game with a smooth ,relaxed swing by grabbing two clubs from your bag and put them together. Try a few practice swings with the two clubs. Once you start your first shot, you will notice you feel much more relaxed and loose.

Tip #2 – One way to perfect your swing is to let the ball ‘get in your way’ as you swing toward the target. In other words, you let the ball get hit because it was sitting there in the way of your swing, not because you were swinging at it. Without a ball it is easier to swing through, yet this is the very motion that is needed when perfecting your swing.

Tip #3 – Keep your hands relaxed as you grip your club. The pressure you use is key to getting a better feel for your shot and your putting, especially. Try this – hold your club with your usual grip and ask another player to pull your club from your hands. They should be able to slide the club out without resistance…if not, you are gripping your club too tightly!

Tip #4 - After each game ( and especially on wet days), clean your clubs! The mud that collects in the grooves of your clubs, no matter how small, can affect the loft and distance your ball with travel during your drives.

Tip #5 - To keep your putt in-line, watch the spot where the ball was sitting (before you putt it) until you hear the ball drop into the cup. During a putt, don’t follow the ball with your eyes.