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Your Pick for First Round Leader at The Masters?

Masters LogoI know it may be a little late, but no one has finished their first round as of yet… and a ton of the field hasn’t hit the first tee yet. That said, who do you pick as your first round leader, and what score do you put him on? Early scores trickling in seem to have the field hovering around -2 or -3 at best at the turn… with Amen Corner lurking at the start of the back nine. Do you think anyone can turn a 5 or 6-under round? If so, who will that be!?

Let me know your picks in the comments. Name and score, please!

The New Tiger Woods Nike Ad… What Would Earl Say?

I’m going to reserve judgment on this ad right now, but lets say my opinion of it falls somewhere between ‘tasteless’ and ‘inappropriate’. Let’s just leave it at that. One thing I can’t help but wonder as I see this ad on my TV over and over, and over again… is what would Earl Woods think about this? I mean, they’re using his voice, making comments that he clearly made out-of-context. Would he rip Nike another?… and would he care that Nike is using his voice and his sons image to make lemonade out of a situation chalked-full of lemons?

Please, sound off in the comments.

The SeeMore FGP/FGPw Stainless Putter

The SeeMore FGP/FGPw Stainless Putter

I hope everyone out there is enjoying Masters week! The traditional par 3 contest is going on right now, and boy oh boy was it ever great to see Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player tee it up again. With Masters clearly on the mind, I found myself thinking back to recent champions and the ‘tools’ they used to rise above the rest. And, for one reason or another the mind wandered to Zach Johnson and his wonderful performance in 2007. I recalled he had a SeeMore putter in the bag, and with that… I decided to take a closer look.

Back in 2007 Zach Johnson used the original SeeMore FGP putter to charge his way to victory. After taking a quick peek at the SeeMore site, I was pleased to discover a brand new edition of the FGP is available in both a nickel and black satin finish. The Nickel version has an offset shaft (FGPw), while the black satin comes with your standard straight shaft (FGP). Custom lengths are available from 31″ all the way up to 37″, and numerous lie angles are up for grabs as well.

Unfortunately lefties are left out of the love here, as only right-handed models are available… However, the righties that do want to put one of these in the bag will be pleased with not only the finish, length and lie options, but you get many headcover and grip options as well!

Priced at $185.00, it’s worth every penny. Now, I can’t guarantee it’ll make you a Masters champion, but it WILL get you into a solid setup position, and help you roll putt after putt on line, and with great pace. More images below for your browsing pleasure. For more info, hit up SeeMore Putters.

Shot of the Day: Tiger, Jim and Freddy Skip Shots Across the Pond on 16 at Augusta National

During yesterday’s practice round at Augusta National (Tiger played 18 with Fred Couples, Jim Furyk joined them on 13), this cool little moment was captured on film. The threesome decided to skip some shots across the pond on the challenging 16th hole. Apparently (don’t quote me on this), the folks in the gallery were urging players as they came through to skip shots across the pond… Looks like the Tiger threesome obliged (insert dirty joke here).

Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Jim Furyk Skip Shots Across the Pond on 16 at Augusta National

From all accounts, it sounds like Tiger, Fred and Jim had a great time out on the course. Couples gave a very good interview following the round, and he noted how Tiger was indeed a little rusty, but they joked around and had a great time.

Photo by Zach Boyden Holmes/Augusta Chronicle

Tiger Woods Press Conference Transcript

In case you missed it, below is a transcript of the Tiger Woods press conference, held Monday, April 5th, 2PM EST at Augusta National.

CRAIG HEATLEY: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to you all. My name is Craig Heatley and I’m the chairman of the Masters Media Committee. It’s my pleasure to welcome everyone to Augusta National Golf Club and to the 2010 Masters Tournament.

I would also like to welcome Tiger Woods, our four time Masters Champion. This is Tiger’s 16th Masters Tournament.

Tiger, we are delighted to have you here with us, and what a beautiful day out there to start Masters week. Are there any comments that you would like to make before we invite questions from the floor?

Tiger Woods Press ConferenceTIGER WOODS: Sure. Well, today I got a chance to play with Craig there or, sorry, Craig; Freddie, and then Jim joined us on the 13th hole, and it was just what a great day today.

Coming into today, I didn’t know what to expect with regards to the reception, and I tell you what, the galleries couldn’t be nicer. I mean, it was just incredible. The encouragement that I got, it was just it blew me away to be honest with you, it really did. And the people here over the years, I know they are extremely respectful, but today was just something that really touched my heart pretty good.

I would also like to I guess make another little comment before we start. I know that the players over the past few months have been bombarded with questions by all of you and the public, as well, and I would like to tell all of the players, hopefully after today, after answering questions at this press conference, the players can be left alone to focus on the Masters and focus on their game, not only for this week, but going forward, as well. And certainly apologize to all of them for having to endure what they have had to endure the past few months.

A lot has happened in my life over the past five months, and I’m here at the Masters to play and compete. And just really excited about doing that. I missed the competition. I missed seeing the guys out here. A lot of my friends, I haven’t seen in a while. It was great to play golf again with Freddie and Jim, two of my best friends out here, and I played with Mark yesterday for nine holes and I’m playing with him again tomorrow, as well as Steve Stricker.

So it’s been just an incredible experience so far here at the Masters.

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Cobra Introduces the Baffler Rail H Hybrid

I was alerted just a few minutes ago about a brand new club hitting the market, from our good friends at Cobra Golf. The new club is a utility, and has been dubbed the Baffler Rail Hybrid. I’m quite excited to give this one a shot, as I have a 20 degree 2008 Baffler Pro Hybrid in the bag (and love it). Surely the new Baffler Rail Hybrid will build upon previous successes in the hybrid arena.

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

Built for anyone looking for long game performance (aren’t we all), the Baffler Rail Hybrid features a 17-4 steel body with a 465 maraging face insert. The insert promotes faster launch speeds, PLUS, the lightness of the insert allows for 10% of the weight to be repositioned low-and-back in the clubhead. A new four-way sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the ground, making it easier to hit… much easier than pulling that 2 or 3 iron out of the bag.

The last of the key features in the Baffler Rail is the ‘9 Point Face Technology‘ that we see in all of Cobra’s current driver, fairway metal and hybrid lineup. I can speak from experience, that yes, in every current Cobra metal I’ve put to the test the face is indeed ‘HOT’! With the Baffler Rail you’ll no doubt get tremendous ball speed, and improved feel and forgiveness no matter where you hit it on the face.

Out of the box your Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid comes with your choice of regular or stiff Fujikura Motore graphite shaft. It’s also available in lofts of 17 degrees (2/H), 19 degrees (3/H), 22 degrees (4/H), 25 degrees (5/H) and 28 degrees (6/H). A wide range of lofts = a wide range of options.

For more information hit up Cobra, or check out the image gallery below.

Poll: Did Tiger Woods Impress You During His Monday Press Conference at the 2010 Masters?

Tiger Woods Answers Questions at the 2010 Masters

So, the Tiger Woods press conference at The 2010 Masters has come and gone. Reactions are flowing all over the place on TV, on the web, and shortly in print. That’s all well and good, but the real question for me is… were YOU impressed by his appearance? Cast your vote below:

Did Tiger Woods Impress You During His Monday Press Conference at the 2010 Masters?

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Is This the New Tiger Woods?

Earlier this morning, Tiger took to the course with Fred Couples, and by the looks of things both players had a very enjoyable time. Both were spotted chatting frequently, many smiles were spotted… and in some shots posted at Trailing Tiger… we’re starting to get a glimpse of what may be the ‘New Tiger’. Take a look at the shot above. A smiling Woods, arm stretched out reaching to shake a patrons hand. Have we ever seen this before?…

Tiger Shaking Hands at The 2010 Masters

…And another example. After hitting his approach shot to the 11th green, Tiger hopped the ropes and walked with the patrons.

Tiger Woods Walking with Patrons at the 2010 Masters

Who is this guy? As each passing day goes by we’re getting a clearer picture of the ‘New’ Tiger… and I have to admit… I like him. As horrible as the past few months have been for Woods and his family, one has to think the change in demeanor and attitude may never have occurred if it weren’t for his ‘transgressions’. He’s turning a negative into a positive as best he can, and you have to respect that.

Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1: Smooth and Buttery Says it All

The Scotty Cameron Circa '62 No. 1

The Scotty Cameron Circa '62 No. 1During my first round with the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1 in-hand, I rolled about a 60 footer from off the green, straight into the heart of the cup. I knew from that point on that this short stick was going to enjoy an extended period in the bag… In fact, it’s been over a year since I first introduced it to my game, and it’s still rolling strong.

In the design of the Circa ’62 No. 1, Scotty Cameron has put together a ‘new’ classic. Based on the blades of yesteryear, the No. 1 combines that great classic look, with a soft (and very buttery feeling!) carbon steel putter head. The view of the putter from the top line is clean. No markings at all are found on the flange, all you’ll notice is a small alignment dot on the top. That’s it. And, during those bright and blindingly sunny days, there’s no worries of glare. A custom charcoal-mist finish knocks down any glare to keep your focus where it should be, on the putt.

Everything feels right when you lay the No. 1 down behind the ball. The head feels balanced, the grip is perfect, and a 3/4 offset feels ‘just right’ at address. At least, that’s my opinion.

Scotty Cameron assures that ALL putters in the Circa ’62 line have been optimized for perfect grip weight, headweight and shaft flex… and I can say from experience, this putter is a keeper. In fact, even though I’ve only hit the Circa ’62 No. 1, I’d hazard a guess that all models (there’s the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7) are just as smooth, buttery and responsive as the next. Trust me when I say if you’re looking for a putter that gives awesome feedback and a true roll… Look no further than the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 lineup.

Key specs on the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1:

  • Loft: 4 degrees
  • Lie: 71 degrees
  • Length: 35″ (RH)
  • Headweight: 330g
  • Swingweight: D4-D6
  • Head material: Soft Carbon Steel
  • Offset: 3/4 shaft

Of course, as with all Scotty Cameron’s you can have yours customized to your liking. To do so you can visit Scotty’s Custom Shop, for re-gripping, re-shafting, custom logos, initials, and a lot more.

Now, on to a small photo gallery. I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1!

The Cobra ZL Driver: A Closer Look

The Cobra line has long fascinated me. The brand image is young, hip, and by all accounts the clubs are top performers. Through the years I’ve been a Callaway, Cleveland and Titleist fan, having interchanged iron sets, putters, drivers, etc. between these companies… But one of these days I know I’m going to crack and put a Cobra in my bag.

Last fall, I purchased a S9-1 driver, 3-wood and 5-wood for the lady in my life. She’s long had Cobra in the bag, with a set of King Cobra ss-i irons as her iron of choice. The clubs setup nice, have a larger head, and the graphite shafts make them light and a pleasure to swing. With the nagging Cobra ‘bug’ always in the back of my head, I took her S9-1 driver to the range, and even though the ladies-flex shaft was just a tad to whippy for me, I was impressed. With each swing (was just taking smooth, slow swings to get the shaft to kick at the right point) the ball was clearing the fence at the back of the range. NICE. If I can do that with a ladies S9-1, clearly the new Cobra ZL driver would knock the ball into the next county, right? 😛

The Cobra ZL Driver is a multi-material driver engineered for max distance. Aren’t they all? 😛 The crown and sole are made of carbon fiber, the body and face are made from titanium, and the swing weight screw located near the back of the sole provides an ‘optimal’ CG, MOI and spin rate for a high launch with big carry and control.

The ZL also features the ‘9 Point Face Technology’ that we first got wind of with the S9-1 series. All you really need to know here is the clubhead is ‘hot’. Hit the ball almost anywhere on the face and you’re going to experience tremendous launch speeds. I can attest to this.

Another cool thing built-in to the Cobra ZL Driver is the Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) feature. You can use it to adjust the face-angle settings from open to neutral to closed. This is a handy feature for sure, as it can not only help you straighten out slice or hook symptoms, but better players can tweak the face as they go to help shape their drives with little to no change to their actual swing.

The Cobra ZL Driver is available now in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5. An Aldila VooDoo shaft is the stick of choice, available in a regular and stiff flex. Of course, additional shafts and other customizations are available, but I’d recommend you talk to your local fitter before you even consider ordering something custom. It’s a must to have your clubs tailored to your swing, but please, make sure you have a professional fit you for your needs!

For more information I highly recommend you check out the ZL page on Cobra Golf. More images below!

Note: Forgot to mention, ‘ZL’ stands for ‘Zero Limits’… just sayin’.