The Golf Slice

A definite changing of the guard is taking place in the professional golf ranks and evidence of it should be on full display at the 2011 British Open. If the 2010 PGA Tour rankings offer any indication, a new generation of PGA stars is emerging.

Lee Westwood appears to be an obvious favorite to win it all at Royal St. George’s. Westwood placed third at the British Open two years ago and finished as runner-up last summer. He also finished second at the 2010 Masters. Westwood overtook Tiger Woods as the world’s No.1 ranked golfer last October and spent 17 weeks atop the list. He is the only golfer to hold a no. 1 ranking without winning a major. Westwood ranks 10th all time on the European Tour with 20 victories.

His biggest challenge could come from Martin Kaymer, a German golfer who currently ranks No. 1 in the world after taking over the top spot in late February. Kaymer claimed his first major PGA title when he won the 2010 PGA Championship. He finished regulation tied at 11-under par with Bubba Watson and defeated Watson in a three-hole playoff to win the tournament. Kaymer has earned three other top 10 finishes in his last five majors.

Besides Westwood and Kaymer, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson can always be considered realistic contenders to claim the Open Championship. There will be no discount golf on hand at this year’s Open Championship; only the highest quality will be on display.

Mickelson defeated Westwood by three strokes to win the 2010 Masters. He is a three-time Masters champion and also won at the PGA Championship in 2005. For his career he has accumulated 17 top 5 finishes in the four majors. His best showing at the British Open came in 2004, when Mickelson came in third for his only top 10 finish in that major.

Woods ranks third all-time in both PGA Tour victories (71) and European Tour victories (38). A rough year in 2010 dropped him from the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. But Woods can get it done at the British Open. Three of his 14 victories in the majors have come in the United Kingdom and he has posted four other top 10 finishes.

An unheralded winner could come out of nowhere, however, given what happened the last time the British Open was played at Royal St. George’s in 2003. That year, Ben Curtis shocked the field when he shot a final round 69 to claim his first major title.

Royal St. George’s has hosted 14 Open Championships during its history. The course has developed a reputation for being a rugged one to manage with deep fairways winding through thick rough and imposing sand dunes. Even the best golfers have a tough time staying under par on this course.

Whether you are new to golf or just want to improve your game, there are a number of golf schools available throughout the country. Most golf schools offer a great mix of education and relaxation since many schools teach at the top professional golf courses. The key to finding the right golf school is knowing your options.

The first consideration when going to golf school a person needs to think about is their particular skills. Most golf schools offer specialized training to meet the needs of any golfer, whether it is an emphasis on your short-game or an overall improvement of your skills. When discussing the types of programs available with a golf school, make sure you let them know how much time you want to spend taking classes with the faculty.

Another consideration is the names associated with the school. Golf instructors are usually well known according to their own record on the golf course or the elite clients they have taught. And while you may not always get the top instructor at the school, all instructors working for the school will teach any particular method that the head instructor has developed.

Now it’s time for the golfer to select a campus. After you have researched the educational opportunities one or more schools provide, get to know the location. It is important to know what types of courses you will play during your time at the school and what other facilities are available. Even the city where the school is located should play a factor in your decision. Not all of your time will be spent on the course and it is important to find the entertainment or solitude that you need to help your learning process.

The scorecard, the piece of card you write your scores on even if they are really high! It stays with you the whole round and is the card of information that determines whether your handicap is cut or put up so it’s important you make full use of it and write it correctly.

Yardages, Par and Stroke Index
If you haven’t got a stroke saver then the chances are you will want to get familiar with what holes are coming up by having a look at the yardages and stroke indexes to prefer for what is thrown at you. A common one by my playing partners is “Is this a par 4 or par 5?” and we’re walking down a hole that is 350 yards long. Tell them to get a scorecard, you and they will now be able to know the stats for every hole!

Local Rules
This part of the score card is a serious must read before any competitive round! This piece of card holes the difference between whether you can do a certain action to stop you being penalized for no reason. Present it to your playing partners and show them the correct ruling and get the relief that you are able to receive.

Make the most of every part of the scorecard by jotting down little notes on your own card and also make sure you keep your partners scorecard neat if you’re marking it for him/her!

This post is mainly for a competitive golfer and is extremely important for managing your golf schedule and the tournaments you wish to play in. There are many things to think about whilst actually trying to concentrate on your game. It’s important you set your schedule up right and outline your dates so you know when you should be practicing before a competition. You don’t want to overdo it so leaving rest days in the period before a competition is essential.

Choosing what Competitions
If you’re raring to go and start playing competition golf, a common mistake is to throw yourself at everything! Don’t be tempted to play golf competitions at your club, 36 holes at an open and then the same again for weeks on end, you’ll simply burn yourself out. Choose what are the most important to you and base your decisions on other priorities and also money! Nothing’s cheap, especially golf competition fee’s added up.

Send Early
It’s important when you’re preparing, and that’s making sure you get your application forms off very quickly! Make sure you don’t have to phone up for late entries as this really puts pressure on preparing your game and being ready.

Handicap Certificate
A common mistake is forgetting your handicap certificate! Many competition organisers require this to confirm your handicap just in case you say you’re off 20 and you’re actually off 2! There’s quite a difference there.

All I can say is, I wish you the best of luck!