Tiger No Where To Be Found At Deutsche Bank

Well it looks like Tiger might have used up all of his birdies during his pro-am round yesterday by shooting 63. Today he finished with a 1-over par 72, which inluded a double-bogey at the 298-yard fourth hole. It took him 3 shots to get out of the bunker directly in front of the green. He did everything he could to shoot the 1-over par round.

Michelson did a little better with a 1-under 70 that included a triple-bogey on the ninth hole. Vijay Singh 4-putted from 15-feet on the opening hole for a double that pretty much set the tone for his round that finished at 74.

The star of the day was Camilo Villegas who shot a career low round of 8-under 63. He's 2 shots ahead of former Masters winner Mike Wier who shot his lowest round of the year.

Steve Striker continued with his hot play with a 4-under 67 and more importantly keeping himself a top the leader board in protecting his first place standing in the FedEx Cup points.

As we all know, Tiger will be there come the weekend. I figure he'll need to shoot around 66 or 67 to make sure he plays on the weekend. Hopefully he can get his game back to produce some points towards his FedEx Cup standing.

What's In Steve Stricker's Golf Bag - 2007 Barclays

Steve Stricker won the 2007 Barclays last weekend at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, New York. This was the first tournament of the FedEx Playoffs. Do you want to know what Steve was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist PT 905T 8.5°
3 Wood: Titleist 906F2 13°
Hybrid: Titleist 585.H 17°
Irons:  (3-PW) Titleist 755
SW     Titleist Vokey Design 200 series 54°
LW     Titleist Vokey Design 200 series 60°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball:   Titleist New Pro V1

It took 6 1/2 years and 146 tournaments before Steve Striker won again. He went from +2 for the day to -2 by birdieing 4 of hist last 5 holes on Sunday to shoot a 69. Steve won by 2-strokes ahead of K.J. Choi and ahead of 10 other players within 5 strokes of the lead. His birdie on 18 sealed the victory when K.J. could do no better than par. Stricker took home $1.26 million for his win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Tiger Woods

What's In Brandt Snedeker's Golf Bag - 2007 Wyndham

Brandt Snedeker won the 2007 Wyndham Championship last weekend at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. Do you want to know what Tiger was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: TaylorMade r7 425 9.5°
3 Wood: Bridgestone 5 Tour Premium 14°
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue mid 19°
Irons:  (3-PW) TaylorMade r7 TP
SW:     Cleveland TA 588 54°
LW:     Cleveland TA 588 58°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie
Ball:   Bridgestone Tour B330-S

Snedeker shot an incredible final round 63 (9-under) to win by 2-strokes and his first tour win as a rookie. He overcame a 3-shot deficit going into the 3rd round. Brandt was tied with Tim Petrovic with 2 holes to play until he made a 32-foot birdie putt on 17 to go up by one. Snedaker finished with a par on 18 and Petrovic made bogey. Brandt took home $900,000 for his first win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Tiger Woods

What's In Tiger's Golf Bag - 2007 PGA

Tiger Woods wins another major last weekend by winning the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club Tulsa, Oklahoma. All four days were played in 100+ degree heat with high humidity. Do you want to know what Tiger was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch Tour 8.5°
3 Wood: Nike SasQuatch 2 15°
Irons:  (2-PW) Nike Blades
SW:     Nike Pro Combo 56°
LW:     Nike SV Tour 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2
Ball:   Nike One Platinum

Tiger shot a final round 69 to win by 2-strokes, but he did have some pressure by Ernie Els and Steve Stricker late in the round. Tiger made a clutch birdie on 15 to go up by 2-strokes and never looked back. Tiger took home $1,260,000 for the win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Tiger Woods

How Good Is The Ping Rapture Driver?

I've been in the market for a new driver lately looking to replace my r7 425 Quad TP with a XS Fujikura Speeder. I recently hit the Nike SasQuatch Sumo, Nike SasQuatch Sumo Square, TaylorMade r7 Superquad, TaylorMade Burner, Callaway Big Birtha 454, and Callway Fusion FT-5 at a golf demo day. The one that hit it the straightest was the one that I didn't like... the Nike SasQuatch Sumo Square.

The Ping booth was too long so I didn't get a chance to try the Ping Rapture. I've been doing some research and every review I've read (15) has been excellent. All of the reviewers can't believe how straight and long the driver is compared to their other drivers like the r7, G5, Callaway, etc... I went to Ping's website and read the specs on the club and I'm very impressed.

I've used TaylorMade drivers since the first Burner came out, but the Ping Rapture has really got me curious. Both Bubba Smith and Angel Cabrera on the PGA Tour play the Ping Rapture... and these guys hit it a ton. Who can forgot Angel's 397-yard drive in this year's US Open at Oakmont.

So how good is the Ping Rapture Driver?

If you play the new Ping Rapture then I'd really like to get your opinion. If you know of someone who plays it let me know how they like it.

What's In Tiger's Golf Bag - 2007 WGC

Tiger Woods sent another message to Rory Sabatini by shooting a final round 65 to win the 2007 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club Akron, Ohio. Rory was the 3rd round leader going into Sunday's final round.Do you want to know what Tiger was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch Tour 8.5°
3 Wood: Nike SasQuatch 2 15°
5 Wood: Nike SasQuatch 2 19°
Irons:  (3-PW) Nike Blades
SW:     Nike Pro Combo 56°
LW:     Nike SV Tour 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2
Ball:   Nike One Platinum

Tiger had a bogey free day and shot the his lowest round of the tournament. He started the day 1 shot back from Rory, but quickly erased that on the front nine and lapped the field winning by 8 strokes at 8 under. Tiger is starting to play like Tiger, which is a good thing going into the last major of the year. Tiger took home $1,135,000 for the win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Tiger Woods

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs July 2007

Here are the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for the month of July 2007. These golf clubs were the hottest golf clubs in demand during the month of July.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Callaway X-18 Iron set
3. Ping G5 Driver
4. Callaway Steelhead X-14 Iron set
5. Titleist 905R Driver
6. TaylorMade r7 460 Driver
7. Nike SasQuatch Driver
8. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
9. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver
10. Ping G2 Driver

Again The Ping Eye 2 Iron set still holds the #1 spot. It's official... the Ping Eye 2 iron set will be the most popular golf clubs for 2007. It has been the #1 hottest golf club 7 straight months since January. The hottest golf club for this month is the Callaway Steelhead X-14 Iron set, which came out of no where to take the #4 spot. This iron set wasn't even in the top 10 last month. TaylorMade had 4 drivers in the top 10, but the r7 425 dropped out.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs Of June 2007, which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of May 2007.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf equipment, Callaway, Ping Eye
2

What's In Jim Furyk's Golf Bag - 2007 Canadian Open

Jim Furyk won the 2007 Canadian Open last weekend at Angus Glen Golf Club Markham, Ontario, Canada. This was Jim's first win of the 2007 season, which coincedentally was the last tournament Jim won in 2006. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad 10.5°
3 Wood: Adams Insight BYT
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro 18°
Irons:  (3, 5-PW) Srixon I-506
GW:     Titleist Vokey Design 50°
SW:     Srixon forged 55°
LW:     Srixon forged 60°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball
Ball:   Srixon Z-URC

Furyk shot a final-round 64 for a 16-under 268 total to win by one stroke over Vijay Singh. Jim took the lead on Sunday at the 4th hole by acing the par 3. The 3rd round leader, Vijay Singh, shot a final round 68 to finish at 15-under. Furyk earned $900,000 for the win.

What's In Padraig Harrington's Golf Bag? - Open Championship

Padraig Harrington won the 2007 Open Championship two weekends ago at Carnoustie Golf Links Angus, Scotland. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Wilson Dd6 7.5°
3 Wood: Callaway X Hot
5 Wood: Wilson Staff FWS
Hybrid: Wilson Staff Dh6 19°
Irons:  (4-PW) Wilson Staff Pi5
SW:     Wilson Staff TW7 52°
LW:     Wilson Staff TW7 60°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Blade
Ball:   Titleist New Pro V1x

Padraig won in a 4-hole playoff against Sergio Garcia. Harrington shot a 4-under 67 while Garcia shot a 2-over 73 with both finishing at 7-under par. The Open Championship playoff is 4 holes aggregate score. Padraig won by one after the 4th hole, but Sergio had a chance to tie with a 25-foot put that just barely missed.

Padraig was the first Irishman to win the British Open in 60 years. Andres Romero from Argentina finished at -6 and if it wasn't for his 2-double bogeys on the back nine he would have taken home the Claret Jug. Padraig took home $1.5 million for the win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Padraig Harrington

What's In Jonathan Byrd's Golf Bag? - John Deere

Jonathan Byrd won the 2007 John Deere Classic last weekend at TPC at Deere Run Silvis, Illinois. This was Byrd's third PGA win and his first of the 2007 season. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Callaway Fusion FT-3 10.5°
3 Wood: Callaway ERC Fusion
5 Wood: Callaway ERC Fusion
3 Iron: Mizuno MP-60
Irons:  (4-PW) Mizuno MP-32
SW:     Titleist Vokey Design 58°
LW:     Titleist Vokey Design 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport Tour 350
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1x

Byrd shot a final-round 66 for a 18-under 266 total to win by one stroke over Tim Clark. Jonathan basically took the tournament in his own hands by making 3 birdies down the stretch out of the last 5 holes. Third round leader Nathan Green finished in a tie for third place with Troy Matteson at 15-under. Byrd earned $738,000 for the win.

Golf's Dreaded Shank Witnessed On PGA Tour

Yes you read that right. Kenny Perry of the PGA tour hit a dead on shank this weekend during the John Deere Classic. It was definitely a shocker to see while watching it on TV. The camera was directly behind Kenny and when he hit the chip it went straight right. If you're new to the game of golf a shank is probably equivalent to someone scratching a chalkboard with their nails. It's when the golf ball hits the hosel of your iron instead of the face, which causes the ball to veer to the right. I would consider it to be the worst shot you can hit in golf.

What was even more amazing then Perry's shank was the announcer's reaction. There was a brief moment of silence then the announcer started sugar coating the miss... it seemed like he was saying everything but the the "S" (shank) word. It was as if they were forbidden to say it in fear of jinxing him or something.

Not until a few minutes later did one of the announcers say that he shanked it.

I've seen PGA players hit some really bad shots, but this has to be in my top 3 list.

Do you have any shank shot stories to share? I'd like to here them.

What's In K.J. Choi's Golf Bag? - ATT National

K.J. Choi won the 2007 AT&T National Tournament last weekend at Congressional Country Club Bethesda, Maryland. This was Tiger Woods hosted the tournament in its inaugural debut. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch Sumo² 8.5°
3 Wood: Nike SasQuatch 2 15°
Hybrid: Nike T100 17
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro 22°
Irons:  (4-PW) Nike Blades
SW:     Nike Pro Combo 54°
LW:     Nike SV Tour 60°
Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot 2
Ball:   Nike One Platinum

K.J. shot a final-round 68 for a 9-under 271 total to win for the sixth time on the PGA TOUR, the most victories by an Asian-born player. Stuart Appleby was the third round leader at 9-under, but he crumbled with a 6-over 76 to finish at 3-under and a tie for third place. Tiger Woods finished at 2-under and in a tie for 6th place. Choi earned $1.08 million for the win.

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs June 2007

Here are the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for the month of June 2007.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Callaway X-18 Iron set
3. Titleist 905R Driver
4. Ping G5 Driver
5. Nike SasQuatch Driver
6. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver
7. TaylorMade r7 460 Driver
8. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
9. Ping G2 Driver
10. TaylorMade r7 425 Driver

Again The Ping Eye 2 Iron set still holds the #1 spot. It looks like the Ping Eye 2 iron set is going to be the most popular golf clubs for 2007. It's already been the #1 hottest golf club January through June. The hottest golf club for this month is the Callaway X-18 Iron set, which moved from #6 to #2. The TaylorMade drivers now hold 4 of the top 10 spots, which makes sense because TaylorMade is the hottest driver on tour or anywhere.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs Of May 2007, which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of May 2007.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf equipment, Nike SasQuatch, Ping Eye
2

What's In Cristie Kerr's Golf Bag? - 2007 US Open

Cristie Kerr won the women's 2007 US Open this last weekend at Pine Needles Lodge at GC Southern Pines, North Carolina. Do you want to know what she was carrying in her golf bag during the win?

Driver:  Ping Rapture 10°
4+ Wood: Callaway Big Bertha
5 Wood:  Callaway Big Bertha
7 Wood:  Callaway Big Bertha
Irons:   (4-PW) Callaway X-16
SW:      Callaway 52°
LW:      Callaway 58°
Putter:  Ping Craz-e
Ball:    Titleist New Pro V1

Cristie was the 54-hole leader going into Sunday's round. In her final round she made a 18-foot birdie putt on 14 to take back the lead from Ochoa. Ochoa made a series of mistakes down the stretch that she couldn't recover from. Kerr shot a 1-under 70 final round to win by 2 strokes over Lorena Ochoa. Cristie finished the tournament at 5-under par 279 for her 10th career LPGA victory.

Cristie had a premonition at the beginning of the season that she was going to win the US Open at Pine Needles this year. She said to hold of Ochoa and win the US Open was what dreams are made of. Kerr took home $560,000 for the win.

3 Steps To Hitting A Golf Ball Over Water

I know all of us at one time or another have dreaded hitting their golf ball over the water. I'm sure even the PGA pros have those negative thoughts of going into the water. Don't believe me... I bet you close to 50% of those golfers who played in this years TPC were thinking "don't hit it into the water" when hitting their tee shot on the 17th Island green.

Ok, here are the 3 steps to hitting your golf shot over water.

1. You want to first pick a landing spot. This should be a distance that you're comfortable hitting and that you can hit consistently. Now this may not be a distance that can get you to the hole, but it is a distance that will keep you dry. This is important because it might get in the way of your pride of not going for the green, but I can guarantee you at the end of the round you'll be glad you did. Don't try to pull of the 1 in 10 golf shot of carrying it 200 yards over water.

2. Now you want to take one more club than you usually use to hit this distance. So if you need to carry the ball 150 yards with an 8-iron then plan for a 160 yard shot with a 7-iron. This is very important because we're talking about carrying the ball that distance not coming to rest at that distance. A lot of golfers don't factor this in and end up hitting it short into the water.

3. The final step is to think positive. I know that sounds cliche, but you'd be amazed how true it is. If you've done the first 2 steps then there's no reason why you shouldn't feel confident about pulling off the golf shot. You want your last mental thought and image to be positive with the ball landing on the spot you selected.

I hope this helps you out on your next round of golf. Let me know if this golf tip saved you a stroke or two.

What's In Hunter Mahan's Golf Bag? - 2007 Travelers

Hunter Mahan won the 2007 Travelers Championship this last weekend at TPC at River Highlands Cromwell, Connecticut. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: PING Rapture 9°
Hybrid: PING Rapture 18°
3 Wood: Taylor-Made R7 TP 15°
Irons: (3-PW) PING S58
SW: Titleist Vokey 54°
LW: Titleist Vokey 58°
Putter: PING G2i Anser
Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Hunter started the final round very much in contention. He needed a birdie on 18 to tie for the lead and he did just that by sinking a 7-footer. Jay Williamson could have won it by making his 12-footer on the same hole, but he missed it.

They both went back to the tee on 18 and put their drives in the fairway. Mahan stuck his approach shot 2 feet from the pin. Williamson hit his to within 7 feet, but missed his putt high. Hunter made his 2-footer for his first PGA Tour victory. Mahan took home $1.08 million for the win.

Golfing In The Heat At PGA West

As promised, here's my review of my weekend of golf playing the TPC Stadium golf course at PGA West in La Quinta, CA.

I think it goes without saying that it was pretty damn hot. I drove out on Friday and arrived in Palm Springs around 4:30pm and the thermometer read 111 degrees. You have to wonder if golfers, including myself, have a few screws loose to want to play golf in that kind of heat. A couple of my co-workers thought I was crazy to hit a little white golf ball around in the desert. I'd have to agree with them ;-)

Anyway, on Saturday I played the PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament course and at 9:00am it was already 96 degrees. After about 15 minutes on the golf range, I was drenched in sweat and thinking this was going to be a long day.

The first hole was a disaster. I managed to pull an Aaron Baddeley and took a triple-bogey 7. I pulled myself together and was 1-under for the next 8 holes finishing the front in 38. It was highlighted by birdieing number 9, which is the #1 handicap hole. By this time the temperature was probably around 105 and I was starting to feel it.

I started off the back nine a little rough by bogeying the first two holes. I struggled a little bit and managed a 41 on the back, which gave me a 79 for the day. I was somewhat satisfied considering I had a triple and 2 double bogeys.

Sunday's round was on the TPC Stadium course and it was going to be hotter than Saturday. There was absolutely no wind and a lot more humidity because they were watering the course. I was playing well until I came to the par 5 fifth hole. I crushed a drive and had 7-iron left to reach the green in two. I pulled it and ended on the fringe up against the primary rough about 50 feet away. I ended up 3-putting for my 5 and disappointed that I didn't get birdie.

The next hole was the par 3 sixth hole and I hit a 6-iron to about 35 feet. I hit a really poor first put leaving it 8 feet short just short of the ridge I wanted to make it down. Now I had a tricky downhill putt and I proceeded to run that by 4 feet. Well you probably know what comes next... I missed that and ended up with a 4-putt. I can't remember the last time I 4-putted.

My putting confidence went right out the door and I ended up 3-putting the next 2 holes to card a 41 on the front. I started off the back nine really strong and I was even par on the back until I came the par 5 sixteenth hole. If you haven't played the 16th then you haven't seen what I consider to be the highest bunker. It's called "The San Andreas Fault" after the San Andreas earthquake fault line in California. The bunker has to be at least 20 feet deep or more.

I hit a good drive on the hole, but I had a side hill hook lie for my second shot. With "The San Andreas Fault" on the left side of the green my chance to reach the green in 2 safely wasn't looking to good, especially since I started feeling a little nauseous from the heat back on 15. I decided to go for it and sure enough I landed square in the middle of the 20+ foot bunker.

I took out my 56 degree sand wedge and basically opened it up to the point where the face was laying completely flat. I picked out a spot about 2 inches behind the ball and took a full swing. The ball popped up and just barely cleared the lip and probably clipped a few strands of grass. I was so excited that I made it out that I ran up the step grass side of the bunker to see where I landed and I was only 12 feet from the pin... that was a career bunker shot! I missed the putt, but it was a great par.

I started to feel the affects of the run up the side of the green because I was feeling a little dizzy. I felt more nauseous and as I stood on the infamous 17th hole Island green tee I wasn't sure how I was going to hit the ball. Heat stroke was starting to set in and I took a cool wet towel and put it on my neck, but that didn't seem to do much. Needless to say I hit my tee shot in the water and walked away with a triple bogey. I drank as much water as I could and got up to the 18th hole with my hands shaking. I managed to get my drive out there and finish with a bogey and a back nine of 40... with an overall score of 81.

This was the second time I've had a heat stroke or heat exhaustion and it is definitely not fun to have. I drank about 2 Gatorade's and within 30 minutes I was back to normal. If it wasn't for the heat exhaustion I could have easily finished with a 77. You should really get out there and play any of the PGA West golf courses especially the TPC Stadium.

Have you played the Nicklaus Tournament or TPC Stadium course before?

Have you ever had heat exhaustion while playing golf?

Leave me a comment about your experiences with either one.

A PGA West Golf Weekend

I'm off to Palm Springs/La Quinta for a weekend of golf. A friend at work puts on a friendly stroke play tournament every year at PGA West. You get a room and all the golf you can play for around $250 a night, which I think is double occupancy. You'll have to check that.

On Saturday we play the Nicklaus Tournament Course and on Sunday we play the TPC Stadium Course. I pretty sure that to play the Stadium Course alone costs around $125 in the summer. Yes it's going to be hot. I checked the weather and it looks like it's going to be between 105 and 115 on the golf course.

I was fortunate to win the tournament a few years back. I happened to have my golf game at it's peak and carded a 75 and 73 (gross) on the Nicklaus and Stadium courses respectively. I hit a lot of 2-irons and fairway woods off the tees because being in the fairway was a must to score well on these courses... particularly the Stadium course.

If you've never played PGA West you should really give it a shot... especially the TPC Stadium Course with their infamous signature hole... the 17th island green.

If you have played at PGA West then let me know how you did and what you thought of the course(s). I'll post my results next week after I get back. Let's hope I can bring my "A" game to the course this weekend.

What's In Angel Cabrera's Golf Bag? 2007 US Open

Angel Cabrera won the 2007 US Open Golf Championship this last weekend at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Ping Rapture 7.5°
3 wood: Ping TiSi Tech 14°
Hybrid: Nickent 3DX DC ironwood 17°
Irons:  (3-9) Ping S58 w/ Rifle 7.0 shaft
PW:     Ping S58 47°
SW:     Titleist Vokey spin milled 54°
LW:     Titleist Vokey prototype 60°
Putter: Ping Redwood Anser 35 inch long
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1x

Cabrera started the final round 4 shots out of the lead, but ended up winning the tournament by 1 stroke over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. His final round 69 was very impressive considering he had never won a PGA tour event. He had a lot of pressure with Tiger breathing down his neck, but he handled it very well. Tiger had many chances to take the tournament, but his putter pretty much failed him for the entire tournament.

Cabrera is the first Argentinian in golf history to win the US Open. Also, it was the first time in US Open history that an interpreter was required to help present the U.S. Open Trophy to the winning golfer. Angel took home $1.26 million dollars for the win. In second place both Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk took home $611,336.

US Open At Oakmont Gives Amateur Golfers Hope

The US Open Golf Championship is the one time we amateur golfers get to watch professional golfers struggle to play and score well. I think as an amateur we get some sadistic pleasure out watching these guys hit shots that look like a 30-handicapper would hit.

You watch these professional golfers hitting out of the rough and they're only able to advance it 30 yards sometimes. I think watching these tour pros fluff a 10-yard pitch shot back into the rough makes all of us amateur golfers feel a little better about all the times we've done the same at our local golf course.

Sunday's round was hard to watch at times because you had to feel bad for some of those players... especially Aaron Baddeley. He's got a great game and he seems to be a really great person. Watching him make triple-bogey on the first hole of Sunday's round was tough to watch. He wasn't able to recover from that and ended up carding a 10-over 80 finishing at 12-over par for the championship.

You have to give Angel Cabrera a lot of credit for playing the way he did. He hit some incredible golf shots down the stretch with several of his iron shots finishing only a few feet from the hole for tap in birdies.

Tiger Woods had some many chances to tie and even take the lead during his round on Sunday. We've all become accustomed to seeing Tiger pull of the impossible and we all kept waiting for him to make his move on Sunday, but he just wasn't able to do it. His putter pretty much failed him this weekend especially during Saturday's round. I think he could have put the tournament out of reach on Saturday if he had been putting like he usually does. He hit 17 out of 18 greens and made only 2 birdies (1 birdie was a 2-putt on a par 5) and one bogey to finish with a 1-under 69. He could have easily shot 65 or 64 and put a huge amount of pressure on the rest of the field, but it wasn't meant to be.

Furyk made a late run during Sunday's round by birdieing 14, 15, and 16 to get himself within 1 stroke of the lead. I think he lost the tournament by hitting driver on 17 when he should have hit a lay up iron. Furyk ended up bogeying 17 and his chance for a second US Open was gone. Other players who had a chance on Sunday were Paul Casey, Stephen Ames, Steve Stricker, David Toms, Justin Rose, and a few others. At one point each of these players were only a few strokes out of the lead, but at the end of the day Oakmont Country Club prevailed.

Angel Cabrera's final round 69 was enough to give him a 1-stroke victory over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. He become the only Argentinian in golf history to win the US Open Golf Championship. Congratulations Angel... you were the better golfer this weekend.

As an amateur golfer, we should all feel a little better about our own golf game knowing that even a professional golfer can shoot in the 80's and at times look like a high-handicapper.