Tip of the week: The Fried Egg

No, we're not talking about some breakfast food.

We're talking about the dreaded fried egg bunker shot that plagues so many golfers.

Bradenton resident Paul Azinger, a former PGA Championship winner and Ryder Cup winning captain, offers tips and drills through his Golfplan App for the iPhone and iPod.

Here's Zinger's advice on handling the fried egg bunker shot:

Paul Azinger discusses plenty on Golf Channel show

Paul Azinger with Team USA after winning the 2008 Ryder Cup. Courtesy of McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

Bradenton resident Paul Azinger was on The Golf Channel's Morning Drive show early Tuesday morning.

The television show is formatted like a talk radio program and Azinger was brought in via phone to go over some golf topics.

Here's a snippet into what the former Ryder Cup winning captain had to say:

• The first question centered around his Golfplan App for the iPhone and iPad. Azinger said the Golfplan App uses short (under a minute) drills as a fixer. He also said there's going to be a new add-on for the Golfplan App, which will offer tips/drills to do indoors when it's snowing or raining.
  
• The conversation then shifted toward Tiger Woods. Zinger was asked about the current PGA Tour climate for the 2011 season, which has seen numerous first-time winners as the "Roaring 20s" - players under the age of 30 - takes center stage. He said there's a new breed out there that has no fear and won't be intimidated. And the focus is on Tiger to see how he reacts. Zinger went on about the greatest athletes and what separates them from their peers. The greatest athletes (i.e. Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, etc.) is that they don't think about anything when performing. The other players are thinking about something. And that's what has happened to Woods lately - he's had a lot going on off the course and that's what he's thinking about. Azinger concluded with a Woods stat, saying he went 13 years before missing a short putt that he had to make - the one against Y.E. Yang in the PGA Championship - and he missed three short ones at Augusta National in this year's Masters.
  
• The hosts asked Zinger what player he would buy stock in for the next three years. Despite it being a tough question, the former PGA Championship winner answered with Woods, because the price for a Woods stock would probably be similar to Martin Kaymer or Rickie Fowler right now. And with Woods, he said he thinks he'll be back. It's just a matter of time.
• Speaking of time, just before it ended on his segment, the hosts asked Azinger whether he's running for politics. While Azinger said he enjoys politics and often tweets about it, he has no immediate plans to run for office. However, he said he wouldn't rule that out for his late 50s or early 60s at the earliest.

Tip of the week: Two-club chipping drill

Need a short game drill to get those chunks and skulled shots out of your system?

Well, check out Bradenton resident Paul Azinger's tip.

The former PGA Championship and Ryder Cup captain winner offers a drill from his Golfplan App series.

Here it is:

Future U.S. Open to Manatee County?

The Concession Golf Club was recently named as a potential U.S. Open venue in LINKS Magazine's "List Issue."

The magazine tabbed the East Manatee course in its top ten sites to host a future U.S. Open.

Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus co-designed the course, which gets its name from the Ryder Cup moment where Nicklaus conceded a short putt to Jacklin on the last hole of their singles match.

The concession meant it was the first tie in Ryder Cup history, which retained the cup for the United States.

Read colleague and sports editor Tim Wolfrum's story here.

Davis Love III tabbed as next U.S. Ryder Cup captain

Davis Love III at the 2009 Quail Hollow Championship/courtesy of McClatchy-Tribune Service

Davis Love III is the new United States Ryder Cup captain.

The former PGA Championship winner was selected to captain the 2012 edition, which is slated for Medinah (Ill.) Country Club.

Love's illustrious career includes 20 PGA Tour victories and several Ryder Cup appearances - the last coming in 2004.

The decision to pick Love comes on the heels of Europe choosing Jose Maria Olazabal as its captain.

Olazabal's chronic back injuries has sidelined the former two-time Masters champ in recent years, but the Spanish legend will take charge of a European side littered with talent.

That talent was on display this past fall when the Europeans regained the Ryder Cup over the Americans at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Now that the news is out on the captains, we'll just have to wait 18 months before the first shot is hit in the next Ryder Cup and watch to see who qualifies for each team.

Florida wins Southeastern Challenge Matches

Team Florida won the Southeastern Challenge Matches this past weekend at the Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach.

The biennial Ryder Cup-styled matches pit 12-man amateur teams (eight mid-amateurs and four seniors) from Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Florida had a team total of 25 points in the two-day event to secure victory and end Georgia's five-year match winning streak.

There weren't any team members from Bradenton, with Tim Hume (Tampa) as the nearest competitor to Manatee County.

Some final thoughts on the Ryder Cup

Apologies to loyal blog followers for not getting this out sooner, but here are my final thoughts on the Ryder Cup that ended Monday:

1. Let's not stage the Ryder Cup so late (October) in the United Kingdom again.

The biennial matches ultimately had to be finished on Monday for the first time ever, since constant rain halted action on the first day, which set the entire schedule back a bit.

2. Get adjusted faster.

The old cliche is putt for dough and drive for show. That's never more evident than at big-time tournaments, where the winner is usually decided by who has the hot hand with the flatstick.
The United States is a team built with PGA Tour players, who are all accustomed to fast greens.
Since it was Europe's turn to host, Celtic Manor's greens looked as fast as a shaggy carpet.
To be fair, it's hard to get the greens lightning quick in Wales in October (see No. 1 for this issue). But that doesn't mean the American players can't get themselves adjusted and acclimated better and quicker.
One of the things, aside from consistency, that separates PGA Tour pros from other golfers is the ability to adapt to different conditions on the fly.

3. Kudos to Rickie Fowler

The PGA Tour rookie has zero career wins, yet he was selected with a captain's pick to join the team.
For the first few sessions, his inclusion on the team looked like a complete bust.
But then something remarkable happened in the singles match on Monday, and the United States benefited by having a chance at the end to escape Wales with the Ryder Cup in tow.
It was a coming-of-age moment for the phenom Fowler, where he closed with four straight birdies, stealing a crucial half point like the way John Dillinger used to rob banks.

4. Amazing finish

After Fowler's unfathomable comeback to garner a half point, Hunter Mahan had all the weight on his shoulders for Team USA.
Graeme McDowell had it on his for the Europeans.
Who would buckle first?
It didn't hurt that McDowell was 2-up with two to play, but the Northern Irishman turned it on just enough – thanks to a gravity defying putt that snuck in the bottom shelf on No. 16 – to down Mahan and regain the Ryder Cup for Europe.
Not a bad finish for anyone playing hooky from school or work that was able to watch.
And I must admit, that McDowell sure looked like he wanted the pressure.
Boy, did he thrive. I guess that's what happens when you play near-mistake free golf en route to a United States Open victory at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Links.

5. Speaking of that finish...

... I could, and have, done the same exact thing as Mahan with that chip shot.

Team USA retains Junior Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup's countdown is winding down, but the Junior Ryder Cup is already here.

Doris Chen and Ginger Howard, two IMG Academies' golfers, are representing Team USA against Europe at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.

The venue is the a preview for the main attraction, albeit down the road.

Gleneagles is the host site to the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Team USA took a 9-3 edge after Monday's opening day, with Chen and Howard featured in this photo.

The squad used the first day lead in holding off a European comeback bid with a solid second day.

The result is Team USA retaining the Junior Ryder Cup with a 13 1/2 to 10 1/2 victory.

The players aren't finished yet, as they'll embark south to Wales and Celtic Manor on Thursday to participate with their elder statesman in the game.

The Ryder Cup begins Friday and finishes Sunday.

Pavin makes right choices with captain's picks

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin selected his four captain's picks earlier today.

They are Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

Woods, Cink and Johnson have all won major championships.

Fowler's resume lacks one, but he's expected to capture some during his career.

The young gun has played well at times this year and the move to select Tiger doesn't quite look too political with his recent finishes on the PGA Tour, even if he hasn't won yet.

The Ryder Cup takes place at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Pavin's nearing decision on captain's picks

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is close to deciding his four captain's picks, according to multiple media outlets.

Pavin is expected to announce who will play with Team USA at the Ryder Cup held at Celtic Manor in Wales at the end of Labor Day weekend.

European captain Colin Montgomerie already chose his captain's picks when he tabbed three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari.

The Harrington selection, despite the multiple majors on his resume, was at Paul Casey's expense.

Casey looked like the better option due to his past match play record, performances in the British Open (tie-third) and PGA Championship (tie-12th) this year and his world ranking (No. 9).

That's in contrast to Harrington, who has played poorly in the two previous Ryder Cups and failed to make the cut in three majors in 2010.

So, when Pavin does make his choices known, there'll be plenty of second-guessing over who was chosen and who was snubbed.

The big decision for Pavin is whether Tiger Woods makes the team or not.

Woods is still No. 1 in the world and despite his poor form since returning to the PGA Tour after a layoff following the fallout from his marriage woes, he still boasts a record that Pavin would have a hard time overlooking.

Casey snub could spell doom for Europe

Colin Montgomerie has made his captain's choices for the upcoming Ryder Cup.

And Paul Casey was passed over.

Monty chose Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari.

It's the choice of Harrington and not Casey that garners the most head-scratching.

Sure Harrington has won three majors, but the Irishman missed the cut in three majors this year.

His form is off, and his record in the last two Ryder Cups isn't good, either.

Harrington has lost eight matches, halved two and won zero in 10 matches.

Meanwhile, Casey played well in two majors this year, is No. 9 in the world and has a decent match play record.

In fact, he displayed his match play prowess with a runner-up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The Englishman finished T-3rd and T-12th in the British Open and PGA Championship, respectively.

Tiger and Elin's divorce official

The Associated Press has reported that Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially divorced.

That should come to no surprise to anyone in or out of the golf world.

Now that the divorce and the number of women he had an affair with has cooled down a bit, perhaps El Tigre can focus in on golf.

Team USA's Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin sure would like it. The world's No. 1 golfer has seen a dip in form that left him without a major in his return to golf since the Thanksgiving car accident and subsequent infidelity allegations surfaced.

Pavin would like nothing more than to have Tiger gain some of the magic he had in 2000, when he steamrolled the fields at the U.S. and British opens en route to three major championships for this year's Ryder Cup in Wales.

Curtis Cup opener set

Bradenton's Jessica Korda is set to team up with Alexis Thompson in first round of the 36th Curtis Cup.

The tournament is a biennial tournament for the best female amateur golfers akin to the Walker Cup, which is the men's amateur version of the Ryder Cup.

The United States takes on the Great Britain and Ireland team at Essex Country Club beginning Friday, and Korda tees off at 9:10 a.m. when she'll pair with Thompson to face Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn in the opening round.

Korda is coming off a spectacular United States Women's Open sectional qualifier at The Oaks Golf Club in Osprey, where she earned medalist honors for her 36-hole total of 68-68--136.