Golf Blog

Archive for April, 2009

It’s the Lytham Trophy this weekend which takes place at the Royal Lytham and St Anne’s Championship Golf Course on Friday 1st May 2009 and Saturday, 2nd May 2009.

In the early 1960s some of the senior Members of the Royal Lytham and St Anne’s Golf Club felt that there was a gap in the amateur golfing calendar and the need for a major 72 hole scratch competition. Help was given by the EGU to launch the event and to select entrants. The Scottish, Irish, Welsh and County Unions and various eminent players were approached for their support. All gave it willingly and so was born the Lytham Trophy.

It is held each year over the Bank Holiday Weekend at the beginning of May. It is now played solely at Royal Lytham with one round being played on the Friday and Saturday and the final two rounds, for those that have made the cut, on the Sunday.

Every winner takes away a replica for the handsome “Sputnick” trophy which was donated by Members subscriptions. All have been international golfers of the highest quality and many have gone on to be successful Professionals.

The entry is now of the highest calibre from all parts of the UK and Eire and in recent years from all over Europe. In 1999 we had the first European Winner Tino Schuster from Germany. It also attracts the attention of the Selectors for the National Teams as it is the first major stroke play event of the year.

The longest course in Open history was Carnoustie, which measured 7,421 yards when Padraig Harrington won in 2007.

But this record is about to be smashed by Turnberry.  The Scottish course, which last held the Open in 1994, will measure 7,204 yards for the 16-19 July event.

The new layout features six new tees, including a 200-yard drive over the bay near the famous Lighthouse at the 10th.

Since Zimbabwean Nick Price triumphed at Turnberry 15 years ago, the straight 410-yard 16th has changed to a 455-yard dogleg right, while the par-five 17th has been stretched from 498 to 559 yards with three new bunkers also added.

The 17th is the hole that Price eagled with a 50-foot putt as he saw off Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik.

Turnberry first staged the Open in 1977 when Tom Watson beat Jack Nicklaus by a single stroke in what was dubbed the “Duel in the Sun”. Although Nicklaus finished 65-66, Watson shot 65-65 with third-place Hubert Green 10 shots back.

Harrington, who defended his title with a four-shot victory over Ian Poulter at Royal Birkdale last year, will be playing his first tournament at the Ayrshire venue. The Dubliner is bidding to become the first player to win the Open three years in a row since Australian Peter Thomson in 1956.

Tiger Woods will also be making his first visit, but Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Geoff Ogilvy have all competed there before when the course hosted the 1996 British Amateur.

As another way to keep you all up to date with what’s happening with us we’ve set up profiles on Facebook and Twitter so you’ll always be the first to know about our fantastic products, offers, competitions and much more!

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The new Cobra SZ irons are designed for higher Launch and higher forgiveness with superior accuracy, distance and feel across the face. This is coupled with optimum accuracy, distance and feel across the entire hitting area.

A low-profile head on this new set of Cobra SZ Irons is designed with a full cavity in order to help produce high-launching iron shots. A wide sole, urethane insert and heel-toe weighting all help forgiveness levels when you don’t quite find the middle.

The high levels of technology that have gone into this set mean they are decent value for money. The extremely low centre of gravity is immediately noticeable thanks to the height they produce on shots throughout the set. If you usually struggle with iron-play, these could really help inject some confidence into your all-round game.

The more golf equipment and accessories you buy, the more you’re going to realise why you need a great golf bag to carry it all.  If you’re beginning your search without really knowing what you’re looking for it can be a tricky task.  Do you want a 14 way divider?  An extra pocket for golf balls?  A stand bag?  A cart bag?  etc etc etc…

Here at Golfbuyitonline, we supply a huge range of golf bags from all the top golf brands at prices to suit all budgets.

When choosing a golf bag, make sure to check whether it has all the features you require such as shoulder straps. After all, you want a bag that will be easy and comfortable to carry.  Women will like the fact that companies like Ogio and Nike carry a full line of lighter-weight bags for women that come in bright, more feminine colours.

Colour is something that you need to think about when you buy your golf bag.  When you buy a high-quality golf bag, you want to make sure it’s a colour that you’ll like carrying around for many years to come.  Never buy a bag you can’t stand the looks of just because it’s cheap.  By reading up on products and brands, you’ll be sure to find the golf bag you want for a price you can afford.

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Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods are among 18 players to have given their support for golf to be included as an Olympic sport.

The players have all sent letters of support to International Olympic Committee members from their countries.

The campaign is being organised by the International Golf Federation, who hope to get the sport included in 2016.

Golf is one of seven sports being considered for inclusion in the Olympics. The others are baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash.

The IOC can only add a maximum of two from that list, and are due to make their decision in August. As well as the letters, the players also included a 32-page dossier on why golf should be included in the Games, containing information on how many people play the sport around the world.

Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, global ambassadors for the campaign, have sent the same documents to IOC representatives from 75 other countries.

Golf last was an Olympic sport in 1904 in St Louis when the United States and Canada were the only countries competing.

What do you think?  Should golf be added to the sports played at the Olympics?  Or do you think that the annual golf calendar is busy enough without having to worry about the Olympics too?  Let us know by leaving your thoughts below.

When the Masters went into a play-off, who would win his first green jacket was still in question. His golf ball was not. Argentina’s Angel Cabrera relied upon the new 2009 Pro V1x to capture his second career major with victory over fellow Titleist golf ball loyalists Kenny Perry (Pro V1x) and Chad Campbell (Pro V1x). The dramatic finish was further proof that when one shot can decide a major championship, the ball you play makes a difference. That’s why more players choose the superior performance of Titleist, the #1 ball in golf.

Having tied for the overnight lead, Cabrera and Perry both shot one-under par 71 to finish at 12-under par 276, and tie with Chad Campbell who shot a final round three-under par 69. Pars for Cabrera and Perry at the first extra hole saw Campbell eliminated, before Cabrera claimed the green jacket with a par-4 at the second extra hole, the tenth at Augusta National. The win was the third successive major for Titleist golf ball players, as Cabrera added to Padraig Harrington’s Open Championship and US PGA titles in 2008, which were also claimed with the Pro V1x golf ball.

In addition to being the choice of the three play-off competitors, Titleist was also the choice of fourth place finisher Shingo Katayama (2009 Pro V1x) and ten of the top sixteen finishers, including full line Titleist Ambassadors John Merrick (Pro V1x) and Steve Stricker (Pro V1) who finished tied for 6th at 8-under 280. Merrick, making his Masters debut, fired a stunning final round 6-under par 66 to secure his invite back to the Masters in 2010. Also among the top-16 qualifiers to have secured their place at the 2010 Masters are Titleist golf balls loyalists Hunter Mahan (2009 Pro V1x), Camilo Villegas (2009 Pro V1), Geoff Ogilvy (2009 Pro V1) and Todd Hamilton (2009 Pro V1).

In addition to claiming the top four finishers at Augusta National, Titleist was also the most used golf ball at the Masters with 52 players, more than three times the nearest competitor with 13, and more than all other golf balls combined. The majority of the field also put their trust in the playability and performance of Titleist irons, as they topped the iron count with 21 players respectively. Titleist Vokey Design sand, lob and approach wedges also claimed the top spot in their respective category, with 63 players.

Cabrera’s win at Augusta National is the second consecutive week that the 2009 Titleist Pro V1x golf ball has been the choice of a major winner. Brittany Lincicome captured her first career major on the LPGA Tour with a win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last week, also playing the 2009 Pro V1x. These successive major victories brings Titleist’s 2009 win count to 40, more than four times the nearest competitor with 9, and more than all other golf balls combined.

A second major in two weeks for the 2009 Pro V1x and a second career major for Titleist golf ball loyalist Angel Cabrera, as well as Titleist golf balls claiming each of the top 4 places in the Masters, proves once again that the game’s elite continue to opt for the matchless performance of Titleist.

Just when Ping pro Angel Cabrera’s quest for his second major title in less than two years appeared unlikely, the 39-year-old native of Argentina demonstrated the perseverance that saw him rise from the caddie shack to major champion. Three birdies in the final six holes on the famed Augusta National Golf Club earned him a spot in a three-way playoff. Two pars later, including a remarkable effort from the woods on the 18th hole, and he was The Masters champion.

Entering the final round tied for the lead at 11-under, Cabrera led briefly after a birdie on the par-4 third hole. But back-to-back bogeys on holes 4 and 5 dropped him from the lead and after another bogey on the 10th, he trailed by three with only eight holes to play. After pars on 11 and 12, he birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th holes to reach 12-under-par and pull even at the end of regulation.

On the first extra hole, his tee shot came to rest near the base of a tree to the right of the 18th fairway. With only a small opening but a major championship at stake, Cabrera attempted to reach the green but his shot ricocheted off a tree and onto the fairway, less than 100 yards from the green. His ensuing sand wedge shot came to rest eight feet above the hole. Needing the par to advance, Cabrera calmly rolled the putt into the hole and shook his fist in delight.

The playoff moved to the par-4 10th hole that Cabrera bogeyed in regulation. This time, there was no denying Cabrera his quest for the Green Jacket (size 46 Long, by the way). He split the fairway with his drive and landed his approach shot 15-feet below the hole. In the meantime, his competitor missed a long par putt, leaving Cabrera two putts to become the first Argentine to win The Masters.

In becoming only the sixth player this decade to win two majors, Cabrera relied on 14 Ping clubs. He used:

Ping Rapture driver (7.5°),

Ping Rapture V2 3-wood,

Ping S57 irons (3-9, PW),

a Ping G10 2-iron,

a Ping Tour-W 54° wedge,

a Ping Tour-W TS 60° wedge

and a Ping i-Series ½ Craz-E B putter.

The Mizuno Hot Metal Tour comes to Golfbuyitonline on April 30th!

Fancy winning tickets to the BMW Championship in May or a BMW M3 convertible for a week?

Mizuno are marking the launch of the MX-700 HOT METAL wood series with their first ever National Long Drive Championship.

The HOT METAL Tour comes to Golfbuyitonline on 30 April between 4pm and 8pm.

To register your place in the competition, please call 0844 4488505.

Using the Trackman launch monitor to record total driving distance, visitors will enter their longest of 5 drives with Mizuno’s new MX-700 Hot Metal Ti9 driver. The longest recorded drive will receive tickets for the BMW Championship at Wentworth in May.

The winner will leave in style, driving a BMW M3 convertible – theirs for a week.