Jonathan Byrd has won the last two times he's tee'd it up on the PGA Tour. There's no doubt the 32 year old has some game. To win on the PGA Tour 5-times, you need to have some. But what he doesn't seem to have is much of a personality, or at least one that he's willing to show while out on the course. Yes I know all about his "humorous" line in the media guide, where he states that he's an "avid indoorsman". Haha, ok that's kind of funny. But that still doesn't deter me from my opinion that he may be the most (if not the most, one of) boring golfers on Tour.

I posted this statement on Twitter yesterday and commented on the fact that Byrd makes me *yawn*. I received a few people agreeing with me, and nobody seemed to disagree, although I'm sure there are some out there.

I just compare him to the other two standouts from this past weekend's event, GMac and Robert Garrigus. Graeme McDowell is winning over fans all over the world. He likes to have a good time and doesn't hide that fact. He resonates and connects with the fans. He's the type of guy you want to go have a beer with after a round and shoot some pool. Garrigus is the rough around the edges, quirky (see putter) kind of guy you just have to root for. Never mind the fact that he absolutely BOMBS it off the tee, and we all know fans love that. Byrd on the other side of the coin, to me seems like the type of guy I'd have an awful lot of awkward silence around with.

I know that so many golfers are trained by their sports psychologists to be so even keel, and to not have any ups and downs in terms of emotion, and Byrd definitely fits that description. But we fans like to see some personality out there. It doesn't have to come in the form of fist pumping and riding the bull like Happy Gilmore either. Maybe it's in their fashion (see Ricky Fowler), or their Tweets (see Ian Poulter/Bubba Watson), but show us something to make us root for you.

Byrd won a playoff in the Las Vegas dusk last season with a hole-in-one. The guy's pulse rate barely raised above "almost comatose". If there was any time to ride the bull, it was then.

Nothing against Jonathan Byrd, he's a great golfer. He could have the total package. He's a young (relatively speaking), good looking guy, with a great game. He should be a marketers dream, but instead I think it's his personality and the baggy, traditional Ralph Lauren apparel setting him back a bit. At least Steve Stricker sheds a tear now and then.

My two cents...

For more by Jeff Palopoli, read his blog at www.goodwalkgolf.com

On my morning commute today I was listening to the local sports talk radio show and was instantly intrigued by the topic they were talking about. Rumors are swirling about another athlete who texted a full body nude shot of themselves to a woman. What made me stop and listen was the fact that it is rumored to be a former US Ryder Cup captain! I actually was compelled enough to call in and give my 2 cents, something I've never done before. I was surprised I actually got through after some time and got on air, but unfortunately only had about 30 seconds of air time.

Apparently the good people at Deadspin.com were solicited by someone looking to sell the photo to them. Deadspin offered a whopping $242 for the photo, which was quickly rejected. I am surprised that this hasn't been making the rounds on the web as I really had to dig for it to find the story.

The potential "candidates" in question are:

• Tom Watson
• Lanny Wadkins
• Tom Kite
• Curtis Strange
• Tom Lehman
• Hal Sutton
• Paul Azinger
• Corey Pavin

There are a couple on that list that you have to immediately rule out. Watson is my Dad's age, and my dad has a hard enough time emailing, nevermind texting and also actually texting a PHOTO!? Tom Kite? C'mon now... Hal Sutton has the body of a bowling pin and I'm not sure his arms even reach down to his waist. I really don't know who to go with out of this, it's hard to picture any of them doing such a thing. But if there's one thing we've learned in the last year is to never say never (See Tiger Woods and Brett Favre).

I just don't understand the desire for these million dollar athletes to strip down and take a picture of their dong to try and get laid (Gred Oden, Brett Favre, Mystery golfer). Do they really have that hard of a time picking up women? The other thing... if you are going to do such a thing, you better be bringing the FUNK down there right? Because what you're saying is, "LOOK at this baby!" If she has to squint,  you're done for.

I'm just hoping this is a crazy rumor but I imagine we'll soon find out.

For more by Jeff Palopoli, check out: www.goodwalkgolf.com

My wife’s family has had a rough couple of years. And because I consider her family as much mine as hers, MY family has had a rough couple of years. A little over two years ago my mother-in-law’s sister, Alice, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She fought a long, hard battle for almost two years and hung in there a lot longer than anyone would have thought. An amazingly strong woman, who always had a smile on her face and a hug to give, she left a lot of happy memories to the loved ones she left behind. She passed away in June of this year. The family gathered back in the end of September to spread her ashes on the beloved beach where she spent so much of her childhood. Mother Nature didn’t make it easy on us that day, as it poured rain and the surf on the beach was pretty rough. The exact spot where she wanted her ashes spread required a walk of about 100 yards out over a jetty of large, and now because of the rain, slippery rocks. Most of us stood back and watched as her widowed husband Bart, her son and daughter navigated over the slick boulders and we prayed no one would slip and seriously injure themselves. The surf crashed over the rocks and wind howled as they made their way safely to the spot and then back to the beach. There was no accident then as there easily could have been. It was only two weeks later when Bart was performing the simple task of bringing something up from the basement, when he slipped on the stairs, fell on his head, and cracked two vertebrae in his spine. He’s now been in the hospital for over a month almost completely paralyzed. The irony of those two events, and how that accident could have much more easily happened that day on the beach, really goes to show you how life is measured by “what ifs” and milliseconds.

For as long as I’ve known Bart he’s been a passionate golfer. Self admittedly a bad golfer, but a passionate one nonetheless.  Bart was also always quick with a joke about how poor his golf game was, but that never deterred him from wanting to get out on the links and enjoy the game he loved anyway. After he retired a couple years ago he took a job at a local golf course on the grounds crew mowing the greens. Every time I saw him, he spoke about how much he loved being out on the course early in the morning before anyone was out there, working on the greens. He spoke proudly of how the course had the fastest greens around and how they mowed and rolled them twice a day to keep their lightening quick speeds.

My wife and I recently went to visit Bart for the first time since the accident at the hospital where he is recovering. We weren’t greeted by a man who was feeling sorry for himself, or was mad at the world for the situation he was now in. We were greeted with a smile from an excited loved one who was so happy and appreciative of our visit. Anyone in that position could be holing themselves up in their hospital bed and packing it in. But during our entire visit, Bart spoke with such determination and drive to walk again that I couldn’t help but be inspired by him. He excitedly showed us how he could now perform the simple task of lifting his elbow off the armrest of his wheelchair, and I also quietly watched in my own excitement as I saw him slightly moving his feet. I looked on through glassy eyes as he spoke not only of walking again, but of actually getting out on the golf course and playing the game that he loves so much again.

What is it about the game of golf that instills such passion in the people who play it? That after an accident like Bart suffered; one of his first thoughts is about getting back out on the course. It’s something about being out on the course, in nature, taking a good ribbing from a playing partner, or a $2 Nassau bet, or the feeling of that purely struck drive that happens all too infrequently, that keep us coming back out for more. For Bart it will be baby steps for sure. Just being able to swing a golf club is going to take some serious time. But he’s determined and I believe him when he says he’ll be back out there.

For me, I now know I won’t take the ability of getting out on the course for granted as I may have before. The thought of getting upset about that missed 3-footer, or that shanked drive in to the trees, now just seems trivial and foolish.

If you’d like to follow Bart’s recovery process and provide some much needed words of encouragement, you can check out the blog that his son Michael has set up at: http://bartmanrecovery.wordpress.com

For more by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com

Ok so maybe those weren't his exact words, but during after Robert Garrigus had the tournament locked up, during his post round interview he actually did say, "This win is for Tony Kornheiser who said I'd never win on the PGA Tour". If that's not a polite way of giving him the middle finger, than I don't know what is.

The reason for that statement from Kornheiser came from Garrigus' complete meltdown earlier in the year in Memphis where on the 72nd hole he gagged up a three-stroke lead and triple bogeyed his last hole and was forced in to a playoff with Lee Westwood. Westwood went on to win and capture his first PGA Tour victory. Garrigus went on to wonder if he would even keep his card for next season. If he had won that tournament there wouldn't have been any reason for him to be playing at Disney this week. Unfortunately things didn't work out that way and he entered the week on the bubble at 122nd on the money list. A decent showing would keep him in the top 125. Instead of a "decent showing" Garrigus shot lights out on his closing round, shooting an 8-under 64 to win by 3-strokes.

Garrigus was however helped out by being on the other side of a complete collapse. Roland Thatcher who entered Sunday with a 4-stroke lead, squandered that away with three bogeys on the back nine. Thatcher was lucky to even keep his card, being helped out by a bogey by playing partner Spencer Levin, Thatcher had a 5 foot putt to save his full-time playing priviledges for next year. He made the putt and later said, "You’ll never see a happier guy who just vomited away a tournament,” he said.

There were plenty sighs of relief going on at Disney on Sunday, but maybe none louder than Robert Garrigus and Roland Thatcher.

Congrats Robert, we'll see you in Hawaii in January... and take that Tony Kornheiser.

For more by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com

Last week the Nationwide season came to a close, resulting in the finalizing of the 25 Nationwide Tour graduates who will tee it up on the PGA Tour in 2011. Much was made about this year's money leader, Jamie Lovemark, who had a fantastic season, winning once and also racking up another eight top 10s. Someone said it may be the best ever Nationwide season by a player, mainly because of his consistency week in and week out. Personally I'd have to disagree. I'm not sure how you rank that over last year's money leader Michael Sim, who won three times and also posted six top 10s. I should also mention that Sim did this all within 14 events.

In 2010 on the PGA Tour Sim has also led all graduates from the 2009 class on the money list, ranking 64th with $1,338,926 earned. Closely behind is rookie Alex Prugh with $1,272,606 and ranking 67th. Overall, out of the 25 graduates from 2009 all but eight players will most likely lose their card through the top 125 on the money list ranking. There is a chance for a few who rank slightly out of the 125 at Disney next week, but it would have to be a very special week for them.

This year's class is chalk full of talent. As mentioned earlier, it's led by young phenom Jamie Lovemark, who last year lost in a playoff on the PGA Tour at the Frys.com open, alongside Rickie Fowler. Lovemark is poised for great things on the PGA Tour for sure and his game is consistent enough to hang with the big boys. Another guy surely to make noise is Jhonattan Vegas, who's big and can absolutely bomb it off the tee. He ranked 3rd in driving distance on Tour this past year averaging just over 312 yards. Also making his way back to the PGA Tour is Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey. He's had a couple cups of coffee up on the big Tour, but the 35 year old is hoping to say good-bye to the Nationwide for good. Gainey won twice on the Nationwide this past year and finished the year in 4th place on the money list.

Will this year's class fair better than last, where more than likely 17 guys will be either heading back to Q-school or the Nationwide? There are a lot of young guns in this class with 15 guys still in their 20s. I'm looking forward to watching the games of Lovemark and Vegas progress on the big Tour and see if they can make the kind of noise young players like Fowler and company are producing.

For more by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com  

Former #1 in the World and 13-time PGA Tour winner David Duval has parted ways with Nike after a 10 year relationship. He will no longer be wearing their clothing or playing their clubs. He's decided to go it alone and will be doing some heavy testing in the off season to see what will be in his bag for the 2011 season.

A few weeks back Double-D was carrying Scratch Golf wedges in his bag and now it seems that has extended in to a full set of irons for this week at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, GA. Gone is the Nike driver as well, and in its place is Taylor Made.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do... I want to figure out what I want to do, and start [2011] with exactly the tools I want in my bag and go from there," Duval said Tuesday.

This move seems almost identical to the one that Ryan Moore made a couple years back, after dumping his sponsors and then ultimately joining up with Scratch. It seems to have worked as Moore's game has been revitalized and he couldn't speak any higher for the clubs that are in his bag now. So much so, that he's now a part owner of the company.

Duval sits currently at 107th in the money list with $760,922, and will be teeing it up this week and next at the Frys.com Open, before calling it a season.

Scratch has been making quite a name for themselves over the past couple years, and they don't pay players to play their clubs, which says a lot for the quality when you start to see them popping up in players bags. Champions Tour player and eccentric personality, Tommy Armour III is also a recent convert. You can check out his Scratch sticks here, complete with skull and crossbones stamping.

For more by Jeff Palopoli, check out www.goodwalkgolf.com

So I've had a handful of debates and discussions about the "playoffs" and if they are good for golf, provide any hype, and - in general - are at all popular. I've said that I like the idea of them, but don't necessarily like or understand the point system that decides them. The playoffs have given golf fans something to tune into late in the season. In years past, most of the big names hung up their soft spikes (except Phil still wears the metal!) for the year shortly after the last major. This keeps us - and them - interested now. Do they attract the casual fan? Probably not. Definitely not without Tiger in the field.

Overall, I like the idea of the playoffs, but I think the system still needs work.

It's somewhat ridiculous that a player who never won a single tournament all year (Luke Donald or Paul Casey), had a very likely scenario of taking home the entire FedEx Cup title (and $10 million to go along with it) if he won the Tour Championship. Thankfully that didn't play out and Jim Furyk, with his 3rd win of the year yesterday, took home the big check and most likely Player of the Year to go along with it.

Watching the Tour Championship is almost like being in senior year calculus. The points system is out of control, and if I had to listen to Dan Hicks or Steve Sands describe the many different scenarios that had to play out for certain players to win any more, I was going to need a new TV after throwing my remote control through it.

(I guess I could have just muted it, huh? Glad I just thought of that now.)

They basically threw every single scenario that is possible among the 30 player field at you that it just about makes your head explode:

"If Luke Donald makes this putt on 17, then pars 18... and Matt Kuchar bogies 18... and Charley Hoffman hits O.B. on 16... and Steve Stricker finishes alone in 25th place... and Ryan Moore looses a limb on 18... Kevin Na will be your FedEx Cup champion!"

It is all of these ridiculous, mind-spinning scenarios, coupled with a point system that could have almost allowed someone who never won anything all year to be the FedEx Cup champ to combine to explain why I despise the Tour Championship.

But congrats to Jim Furyk for taking home the title and his 3rd victory of the year. As my buddy posted on Facebook yesterday, "Hey ladies, Jim Furyk just got a whole lot better looking." I think Fluff did too. I now think that Jim Furyk definitely leads the "Average Looking Golfers with Hot Wives" club for sure.

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com

In a year where much of the golfing world news took place OFF of the course, and without the world number one player for much of the year the PGA Tour needed someone to step up to keep spectator interest. Many were pinning their hopes on the likes of Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy. Sure, both made some noise this year. Sometimes for their great play, sometimes for a certain someone's fashion sense. But the real noisemaker of the year has to have been Dustin Johnson.

Already a 4-time Tour winner by the age of 26, the side-burn sporting, soul patch toting, big hitter from the golfing powerhouse of Coastal Carolina has been the talk of the Tour for most of the year. He's become a regular practice round playing partner of Tiger Woods, who calls him "stupid long". To watch Johnson swing a golf club is like watching a freak of nature. It's mind boggling to watch his tall 6'4" frame and torque he creates during his backswing. At the recent Deutsche Bank Championship, I made it a point to follow him around for a few holes and see it up close. It's certainly something you need to see in person. On one particular hole I watched as he outdrove Ernie Els by more than 40 yards.

When thinking about Dustin Johnson, I'm somewhat reminded to when John Daly burst on to the golf scene. Back when nobody really hit it 300 yards and everybody HAD to see JD hit the driver. Well now 300 yard drives are a snoozefest, and it's "DJ" bombing the 350 yard drives, with crowds clammering to get a look.

Johnson made news earlier this year for squandering a 3 shot lead in the U.S. Open, and faultering to a final round 82. Many thought that a mental collapse like that could ruin a player, but there was DJ again at the PGA Championship making a birdie on the 71st hole to take a 1-stroke lead to 18. But then "bunker-gate" happened and we all know how that ended up. Again, many people wondered what that would do mentally to a young player. Well apparently not much in DJ's case, as he continually put himself in position to win week after week and it finally paid off last week at the BMW Championship, where again birdied the 17th hole and finished it off with a solid par on 18, getting that monkey off his back.

A couple weeks back I was talking to an equipment rep who has a lot of inside knowledge obviously, and he spoke about how DJ is the real deal, and that he obviously has a great mind, or no mind at all. Either can be good for golf, depending on how you look at it.

We're starting to see a bit of a changing of the guard on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods not even in the Tour Championship, and goes winless all year? Phil Mickelson hasn't been much of a factor since the Masters and isn't getting any younger. Dustin Johnson is the future of the PGA Tour, get used to seeing his name on that leaderboard of the majors. Soon the discussions will ensue about the Player of the Year award. Johnson currently sits at 2nd place in the FedEx Cup standings, with Matt Kuchar in 1st. There will be heavy debate over who could take home the POY award. I love the Kuch and all, but my vote goes to DJ.

For more by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com

The Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour's proving ground, produces top talent year after year that make their way to the big show. Last year we saw players like Troy Merritt, Matt Every, Michael Sim, and Alex Prugh make their way from the Nationwide to the PGA. This year the Nationwide is stacked with talent that is sure to make an impact on Tour next year. Among these players is Jim Herman, who earlier this year won the Moonah Classic in Victoria, Australia to capture is first victory. He currently sits at 13th on the money list (with the top 25 getting Tour cards), and looks poised to be teeing it up with the big boys next year.

I recently had a chance to catch up with Jim and talked about a variety of topics including this year's U.S. Open, where he qualified and made the cut, to the state of his bowling game.

First of all, congratulations on qualifying AND making the cut at this year’s U.S. Open! Can you talk a little bit about what that experience was like and what you took away from it?

Jim Herman: What a week. It was my first PGA TOUR event and my first major and to have that all come together at Pebble Beach, which was my 1st time at Pebble Beach as well. I was very excited for the whole experience and to play well and Tie for low round on Sunday was amazing. I took away a feeling of confidence that I can play at the next level.

What was your favorite hole at Pebble Beach, and alternatively, the least favorite?

Jim Herman: I would say that my favorite Hole was number 4. A great short par 4. A risk reward hole on the edge of the ocean. My least favorite was number 11. I struggled with that tee shot everyday and consequently my approach shot was not ideal to a brutally tough green complex.  Another short hole but a very difficult one.

At the U.S. Open you bounced back from a tough Saturday (81) with a 68 on Sunday, which tied for the lowest closing round. That must do wonders for your confidence level heading back to the Nationwide?

Jim Herman: What a day! Two eagles, having a chance to tie for the low round at a US Open at Pebble! Just knowing I can go low at the highest level is a confidence boast. I know I was capable of it but until you do it you never know.

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Was it just me and my extreme immaturity, or did anyone else absolutely lose it when you found out that Oosthuizen's buddies call him "Shrek" because of the space between his teeth? Even still when I think of this, it makes me chuckle. It's just the same kind of ball busting that I'm sure most of us do with our chronies. We actually also call one of my long time friends "Shrek" because of the size of his enormous head.

When hearing this hilarious and "affectionate" moniker for Louis given by his loving friends, it made me think of some of the other great nicknames on Tour (present and past) and weigh them against "Shrek". What do you think the greatest golfer nickname is?

After the jump, a sampling of some from over the years and how Shrek compares.

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While watching the Travelers Championship this Sunday, I couldn't help but raise the question that doubles as the title of this post: Does watching bad golf breed bad golf?

Justin Rose lit up the field the first two days firing 64-62, and then followed it up with a ho-hum 68 on Saturday. He was in the driver's seat for Sunday with a three stroke lead over Ben Curtis. Rose was at -16 and looked poised to win in consecutive starts. (Rose won his last start at The Memorial.)  The eventual winner would more than likely be one of those two guys, right?

Instead, the wheels came off both Rose and Curtis on Sunday. They shot 75 and 73 respectively. This on a day where low scores were being fired all around. There were so many 66s on the leaderboard Sunday, I thought El Diablo was going to make an appearance at some point.

Translating Rose's and Curtis' Sundays to our game: if you're playing with a guy who's falling apart at the seams, can it effect your play? Normally it doesn't happen among Tour pros. But I know if I'm in a group and watching a 20 handicapper slapping it around in front of me, I won't play my best. On the flip side of the coin, I think we can all agree that when you are playing with players who are better than you, it usually lifts your own game a bit.

With so many players going low on Sunday, it seems too coincidental that the these two would both shoot over par. Watching Curtis make bogey on the 16th hole, and then Rose miss a two-footer for par shows an obvious mental collapse. If either were asked if the others play effected them, I'm sure they would deny it. But admitting to that is a bit like telling everyone you're not mentally tough enough to block that out. I don't know about you, but I'm going with that deep down somewhere, that watching their playing partner put up all of those squares it somehow seeped it's way in to the other's psyche and bred some bad golf of its own.

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli, visit www.goodwalkgolf.com

Earlier this year I interviewed Justin Peters before he had even tee'd it up in a Nationwide event this year. He was basically waiting for the reshuffle and his chance to play. Justin's journey to this point in his career has been a long one, but just like his ringtone "Don't stop believing", he hasn't. Justin is starting to see some great success on the Nationwide Tour and has made 4 of 7 cuts. His best finish coming at the Melwood Prince George's County Open where he finished T12. Justin is south of the border this week in Mexico looking to have another solid week of golf.

You seem to be playing with a lot of confidence right now. Is there anything that you could point to as a reason you are starting to see so much more success?

Justin Peters: I would say I am starting to see more success because of the mental training I have been doing over the last couple of years. Working with my coach Bill McInerney and utilizing www.mygolfinggoals.com has made a huge improvement on following the map to reach my goals.

You’re making a lot of great progress, making 4 of 7 cuts so far this year. After struggling to get to this level for so many years, how good does it feel to be out there, especially being in the final group over both days on the weekend in Maryland?

Justin Peters: It makes all the struggles worth it. There have been many people who thought I was crazy for sticking with it and taking so many financial risks, but I never stopped believing that I could do it. Even though I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be, I am now a lot closer. Being able to experience the final group for two days in a row was awesome. We all work our butts off to try and get into the final group to be in position to win. I know I didn’t win this time, but as long as I keep putting myself in contention, the wins will come.

You've been quoted as saying how you’ve been able to control your emotions on the course. Is that something you’ve always been able to do, or something you’ve had to work on? If so, any tips?

Justin Peters: I have always been good at controlling my outward emotions, but I have gotten better at controlling my inward emotions. These are the ones that you can’t see. We all have them and I feel that these are the most important ones. Only the player knows if he is controlling those or not. My coach has me do a simple exercise for some tournament rounds. He calls it the bubble exercise. I put all the things I don’t want to think about or the things that I don’t have control over on the outside of the bubble. I put all the things I want to think about and the things I have control over inside the bubble. I put these on a piece of paper and put it in my pocket and read it while I am playing. This is a great tip for anyone to keep their emotions in check.

With all of the travelling and being away from your family, how difficult of an adjustment has that been?

Justin Peters: It has been very difficult. Especially since my son Domenick is only a year and a half old. He changes so much every day and when I get back from my trips I can’t believe the new things he is doing. My wife Shelle has been so great and supportive. I would not be able to play so well and focus if she was not such a great wife and mom.

Is it true your ringtone is "Don’t Stop Believing" by Journey? Very fitting and obviously has some special meaning to you? You haven’t stopped believing in yourself and your talent. A great lesson for many people.

Justin Peters: To be honest, my wife got me addicted to the show Glee. They did a rendition of the song and it got me thinking. About August or September last year, I knew this was going to be my last run at Q-school , so I added the ringtone as a reminder. I have had it on there ever since. It is a little corny, but it gets me fired up. My motto in life is "Don’t give up, don’t ever give up". This is a quote from Jimmy Valvano. If I stopped believing or if I gave up, I would have missed out on some amazing experiences over the last year or so. I am so excited for the future and I feel my golf career is just beginning.

For more interviews and posts by Jeff Palopoli, check out www.goodwalkgolf.com

Today I decided to live dangerously. Fridays are "business casual" at my stodgy corporate job, and usually the most daring fashion statement you see someone make on my favorite day of the week is losing the tie and unbuttoning the top button. But today I'm pushing the envelope. I decided to take my new favorite piece from my golf wardrobe - my Original Penguin white belt - and wear it proudly. In my neck of the woods, even a white belt on the course is still probably pretty rare. Which explains some of the glances I've gotten while wearing it. But to wear it OFF the golf course, to work, no less? Now that's just plain craziness.

I actually fought the white belt fad for quite a while, and I've often noted that at my blog. But with golf fashion getting crazier (hello, Rickie Fowler) and acceptance of it growing, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Years ago when we would see a guy on the course sporting the white whale, my buddies and I would dub them "Euro-golfers" and get a chuckle out of it. I never thought I'd see the day that not only would I be wearing it on the course, but slapping it around my waist on casual Friday. I can say I've already received a few glances, and getting dressed this morning in the locker room at my gym was also an experience, and I could feel the glares. But to all of the people who's eyes glanced at my waist today and probably got a chuckle... you wouldn't know fashion if it jumped up and bit you in the ass. No I'm just kidding, you guys look great...seriously.

I have to admit this feels somewhat liberating. I've contemplated this decision for a while, and to be rocking it at my stuffy corporate job gives me a little extra satisfaction, like I'm almost "sticking it to the man". Actually, I'm pretty sure nobody cares, but it helps me sleep better at night.

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli, visit: www.goodwalkgolf.com

If you're a golf club nut, chances are you've heard of Scratch Golf. They've been making the highest quality custom wedges and irons since 2003 and this past year made news with Ryan Moore becoming a part owner of the company, along with longtime club making legend Don White joining the Scratch family. The designs of their clubs, in their simplicity, are absolutely beautiful. Their commitment to customer service is unparalled. Where else do you have access to a company's CEO to inquire about an order or a product question? They've made a name for themselves with grassroots marketing and advertising and have a huge underground following because of their efforts in the blogosphere and social media. I just recently purchased a new 56 degree wedge through Scratch, and when I had questions about the product, Ari and his brother Chad (COO) were more than accessible and made it a great experience. Recently I had a chance to interview Ari to talk about how Scratch has managed to become so successful, and about some of their future plans for the company.

You started the company in 2003, how did you guys get started in the business? The golf industry seems like an extremely tough racket to break in to.

Ari Techner: We started Scratch Golf mostly because of a big hole we saw in the wedge category at the time.  There was nobody that was actually fitting the sole of the wedge to the player who is using them's swing.  Custom fitting at the time was huge in golf but nobody was fitting wedges.  We felt strongly that custom fitting was as important to wedge fitting as any other club and set out to come up with an innovative fitting system that made sure that the sole of the wedge, the part of the club that actually comes in contact with the ground, was fit to the players swing.  We were in a unique position to take advantage of this hole in the market because of the unique talent that Chief Design Engineer Jeff McCoy has hand grinding golf clubs.  He is one of a very few in the world that can do what he does to a golf club.  Without him and his unique talent we could have never started Scratch. 

Just starting out, making a name for yourself among the other big manufacturers must have seemed daunting, as I’m sure it continues to.  At what points did you celebrate small victories in your growing company?

Ari Techner: At the beginning we were excited by pretty much every  big order and especially when we got better players or Tour players to try and use our clubs.  During those first few years of growth it was really exciting to hear people talk about our company and the quality product that we were making.  We still get excited by some small victories but these types of things have become much more commonplace.

Because you don’t pay players to use your clubs, I think many casual fans may have never heard of Scratch, possibly until just recently with the relationship with Ryan Moore. Talk a little bit about how you guys have used  a totally unique and youthful way to market your brand to the point where you could add a player like Ryan.

Ari Techner: We have always been different in the ways we market our company.  We decided early on that traditional print advertising was not for us.  Instead we have concentrated on a grass roots marketing campaign where we have concentrated more on individual players and also some of the internet forums and blogs to help get our name out there.  We also concentrated hard on the Nationwide Tour and other smaller Tours to get our clubs in the hands of the better players out there.  As a result we were the #1 Forged Wedge on the Nationwide Tour in 2006 and got 2 wins on the Nationwide Tour in 2007.  Ryan was playing without a sponsorship and we sent him some clubs to try and he just fell in love with them.  The rest as they say is history.

Famous club maker Don White just came onboard at Scratch. After 38 years at MacGregor and making clubs for Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, what made adding such a legend  appealing to both the company and for him as well?

Ari Techner: Adding Don to our team was just huge for us.  He has worked with all of the best players in the game during his time at MacGregor and is just an incredible craftsman.  Don fits in perfectly here at Scratch as we are the only company that actually grinds clubs for specific individuals which is what Don has always done.  He had offers from pretty much every company but wanted to work for a company that allowed him to make specific clubs for specific individuals like he had always done.  He did not want to be an assembly line, making 3 irons on Monday, 4 irons on Tuesday, 5 irons on Wednesday etc.  Instead he wants to know the name of the person he is making clubs for and know that the clubs he is making will really be appreciated by the person he is making them for.  Scratch was the only company that offered him that ability.  It could not have worked out better for either one of us.  Its amazing having an industry legend like Don in the shop every day.

Scratch has a pretty sophisticated custom fitting process. You’ve broken it down to 3 types of ball strikers. I’m a Digger/Driver. What does that actually mean? Can you talk a little bit about the 3 different categories  and why you felt it was such a core piece of the company’s strategy to fit players to the clubs their using?

Ari Techner: Going back to the early days of Scratch we always felt that fitting has been ignored in the wedge industry.  We did over a year of testing and determined that there were 3 main swing types that people use when hitting a wedge.  The Digger/Driver is someone who is extremely steep and aggressive and takes a big divot.  This person's main mishit is fat.  The Digger/Driver sole grind is setup to avoid digging and make sure that this type of player can be steep and aggressive and have the wedge work with their swing instead of against it.

Congratulations on making it in to Golf Digest’s Hot list  That is obviously a huge accomplishment that I don’t want to diminish in any way, but Golf Digest seemed to suggest some lower lofted wedges were needed.

Ari Techner: We are planning to add a 50* to the 8620 cast line and the 1018 forged line.

Obviously you guys have taken Scratch from a small start-up company to a serious force in the golf industry.  However, do you think that with all this growth and success, you will be able to continue to be as open and public with your fans, something that has been a very attractive feature of the company?

Ari Techner: I plan to always be open and accessible to our fans and the public.  It is really something that I believe in strongly and feel is very important for Scratch. It will be a challenge for us moving forward as we see more and more growth but I plan to make it a big priority.

What do you have planned for Scratch in the upcoming year and beyond?

Ari Techner: Right now we are looking at trying to move all of our production to the USA and out of Asia.  This will be a huge move for us as it will allow us to keep on top of our ordering and inventory much better than before as well as support what is a struggling economy here in the USA.  I also believe that we can make a superior product by working with American manufacturing compared to the people we have been working with in Asia.  In terms of other clubs, we are working on adding Scratch putters to the line and expect to have something ready at the 2011 PGA Show.  Other than that I would not expect to see us move into drivers or fairway woods at all.  We like to concentrate on products that we can make by hand here in our shop.

To learn more about Scratch Golf, visit their website at: www.scratchgolf.com.

For more posts and interviews by Jeff Palopoli, check out: www.goodwalkgolf.com

This past weekend was truly one to remember in the world of golf. The month of May kicked off with some very big highs and some very big lows, and gave golf fans something to talk about for quite some time. Those lows included Tiger Woods shooting a second round 79 at the Quail Hollow Championship and missing the cut by a mile, as well as Lorena Ochoa playing in her last tournament before her early retirement at the age of 28. In Tiger's case, it could be considered a high, depending on how you feel about him.

The highs came from two of the youngest players out there. Ryo Ishikawa fired an unbelievable closing round of 58 and captured yet another Japanese Tour title. That 58 marks the lowest score ever recorded on a major tour. He birdied nine of his first 11 holes and missed a 15 footer for a 57 on the 18th. Did I mention that he's only 18 years old?

The other big news maker came from fellow youngster Rory McIlroy at the Quail Hollow Championship. Everyone has been expecting big things from McIlroy all year and greatly looked forward to his regular presence on Tour, as this would be his first year as a full time Tour member, technically making him a rookie. We've been waiting and waiting for him to do something, to make some noise, but it hadn't panned out that way. At least until this weekend. There were questions about his back and his busy schedule, and if they had anything to do with his poor play. Those can all be put to rest now. McIlroy has now silenced all critics (if there really were any) with his final round 62 (10 under) to comfortably win his first PGA Tour title. His closest competitor was Phil Mickelson at four strokes back.

This is all great stuff, but these are events that I was completely unaware of until late last night. Except Tiger's absolute meltdown on Friday, which I followed online while at work and took some sweet pleasure in seeing. Instead, my weekend was filled with pounding the pavement with 10 other sweaty, smelly runners as we made our way from a town just south of Boston to the very tip of Cape Cod (Provincetown), 200 miles away. There was not much contact with the outside world except for a few Tweets and Facebook updates from my Blackberry. For the most part it was a golf free weekend for me. However, as I sometimes do on long runs to take the attention away from the pain in my knees, calves, and various other parts of my body that start to ache, I play golf... in my head. This past weekend I ended up running on three separate occassions totalling about 20 miles in the span of 21 hours, and I played three rounds of golf. Sometimes it's a round I've already played, and I replay every shot from that round. Other times it's just a course I know very well, and I'll play every shot in detail. And I always play well in this fantasy world, that 6" space between my ears. Not Ryo Ishikawa well, but realistic good golf for me. It definitely helps, I can assure you. On my late night run on Saturday night (coincidentally my birthday), I was running along the Cape Cod Canal for 7 miles in to a consistent 10-15 mph wind for the entire way and the time flew by. I made good time, and shot 72. So in the end, it was a win/win situation.

So congrats to Rory and Ryo, and farewell for now to Lorena - I'm sorry I didn't catch any the action yesterday. But my weekend itself was a blast, filled with lots of laughs, aches and pains, character building,and little sleep. Oh and a little brain golf too.

For more posts by Jeff, check out www.goodwalkgolf.com

This week Jerry Rice made headlines as he is making his professional golfing debut at the Fresh Express Classic just outside of San Francisco. He's playing on a sponsor's exemption and also serving as the tournament's host. Hmmm, I wonder how that sponsor's exemption came to be? This no doubt ticked off a lot of people. As many see it as taking a spot away from a more deserving player with actual realistic professional golfing aspirations, oh and who already isn't a multi-millionaire.

Rice has shown his talents extend past the football field. Back in 2006 he took to the dance floor for the second season of "Dancing with the Stars" and was the runner-up finisher. I'm sure he's even a very good amateur golfer. But when you lose to Lawrence Taylor on The Golf Channel's "Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf", what makes you think you can hang with guys who are one step away from the PGA Tour, and some who have already been there?

Before Rice even took to the first tee, people all over the web were wondering if he'd even break his jersey number (80). I speculated he'd be somewhere between 82-87 (I did, seriously! See here). Judging by his opening nine holes, you had to wonder if he'd even break the 90 mark. He was +9 after nine holes and his card was quite colorful to say the least. Rice seemed to possibly get more comfortable on the closing nine holes (he played the back first), and even made a birdie. But that momentum didn't last long as he double bogeyed the closing hole, a par 5, to finish +12 and 20 strokes back of the leader.

We've seen things like this before from other athletes. Remember Michael Jordan's professional baseball attempt? Jordan also made strong claims that after he was finished with his basketball career he was going to play professional golf. A statement made so simply like it was an automatic option. Like, "I'm not going to have Fruit Loops for breakfast today, I'm going with Lucky Charms".

People like Jerry Rice and Michael Jordan are phenomonal athletes, there's not arguing that point. But just because you excel in one sport, and even reached that sport's pinnacle, that does not mean you can pick up any sport in your later years and think you can hang with the big boys. Or in Jerry Rice's case, the "almost big boys".

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli, check out: www.goodwalkgolf.com

On my short morning drive to work this morning I was treated with listening to ESPN's Jason Sobel talking Tiger Woods, on my favorite local sports talk radio show "Dennis & Callahan" (WEEI). Unfortunately golf is usually not a topic these guys discuss, unless it has something to do with Tiger. Instead, topics covered usually involve the Red Sox, Patriots, or unfortunately all too often, politics (guys it's SPORTS talk radio, stick to that). But today it was a pleasant surprise to turn on the radio and hear Sobel talking the Masters and Tiger.

Sobel spoke of the heightened security for the event, and how they are on the lookout for potential Tiger hecklers, and even Tiger mistresses. He relayed a story that he had heard second hand that involved a security guard approaching a somewhat scantily clad, attractive female during one of the practice rounds and asked her, "Are you the stripper?". The woman, horrified by the question, had no idea what the guy was asking. He then looked at a sheet of paper he was holding that had photos of all of Tiger's mistresses on it. Compared it to the woman who was standing in front of him, and then decided that nope, she wasn't one of them. The guard then supposedly said, "you can't be too careful" and then trodded off.

We've all heard of racial profiling, but stripper/mistress/homewrecker profiling? That's a new one. Regardless, this story has to make you laugh at the lengths they are going to make it a "comfortable" environment for Tiger.

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli, visit: www.goodwalkgolf.com

On my long 20 minute commute to work this morning I heard on the radio that Vanity Fair is running a piece next week during The Masters that will feature many of Tiger's alleged mistresses and their personal accounts, complete with photo spreads of them. Seriously, these women's 15 minutes aren't up yet? One of the featured tramps is our good friend and everybody's favorite Perkin's waitress, Mindy Lawton.

Vanity Fair has a teaser of the piece up on their website now, but it's full print version doesn't get released nationwide until April 7. How convenient, one day before Tiger's opening round at The Masters!

You can check out the teaser here, where some of the topics include Tiger's spending habits on his herum (the only thing he ever bought Lawton was a chicken wrap from Subway... hilarious), to his Vegas gambling habits.

For more posts by Jeff, check out: www.goodwalkgolf.com

Troy Merritt has come a long way from his walk-on days at both Winona State (Div. II) and Boise State. While at Boise State, Merritt collected nine wins over two years, including a record setting five straight in his senior year, where he led all of Div. I with a 69.53 scoring average. He took that momentum with him to the Nationwide Tour, where he only had conditional status for 2009. Merritt made 10 of his last 11 cuts which included a win in Mexico. This past December, he lit up Q-school and took medalist honors with a six day total of -22 and won by one stroke over veteran Jeff Maggert. Merritt started off his rookie year hot making three straight cuts, two of them being top 20 finishes.

This being your rookie season, and before the Sony you hadn’t played in a PGA Tour event, what are some of the things you’ve been surprised by most on Tour? Are there aspects that you’ve found to be difficult to adjust to?

Troy Merritt: I thought I'd be a lot more nervous before each round, but I've been able to cope with the nerves and stress. The Nationwide Tour really helped prepare me for the rigors of travel, otherwise, that would have been something that I would have had to adjust to in a hurry. I take things as they come and try not to over-analyze things. I think this has helped me stay level-headed and focused on trying to play good golf.

Coming in to this season, what has been your one main goal? What do you hope to take away from your experience this year?

Troy Merritt: Coming in to the year I had one main goal: to keep my Tour card. I've heard that getting your card is the easy part and keeping it is the hard part. I hope to be able to contend in a few events, and feel that adrenaline rush that being in contention with a few holes to play can bring. I hope to become a better player throughout the year, but I also want to become a better person as well. I want to always make time for those who may want my autograph or a picture with me - even if I played poorly that day.

For the full interview with Troy, check out more after the jump.

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As pretty much anticipated "Boom Boom" is absolutely lighting up the Champions Tour. Although I don't think anybody would have predicted three wins in his first three starts, but a final round 62 (yes, 62!!) gave Couples a two-shot victory over Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin at the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic. Freddy is dominating the Champions Tour and making it look easy, all while exuding his trademark laid-back coolness.

Some are saying he could be a factor at The Masters next week, although I'm not so sure I agree. It would be amazing to see and I'll be rooting him on just as much as the next guy, but Augusta isn't a resort course in the Dominican, and the guys he'll be teeing it up against don't qualify for AARP.

Seeing the names at the top of this leaderboard (Couples, Pavin, Price, etc.) brought me back to my chubby, pimply faced early teen years in the early 1990's when these names graced the top of the leaderboard for the PGA Tour. It makes me feel old, as I'm sure they feel the same.

I haven't watched much Champions Tour golf in my day, but now with names from my youth up there it has been fun to watch. BUT someone help me out here and answer this... Do the guys seriously ride in carts? There were a couple times when I saw Freddy get in to his cart and drive off after he hit his shot and his caddy was huffing it with the bag. Is this for real, and has this always been the case?

For more posts by Jeff go to: www.goodwalkgolf.com

While watching NBC's coverage during the final round of the Transitions Championship I was again put off by a comment from our good friend Johnny Miller. I'm not sure if any of you caught this but it certainly stuck out to me and was completely uncalled for. John Daly was putting out on the 8th hole when commentator Dan Hicks made the comment of Daly that "he still has trouble staying away from the big numbers...the double and triple bogeys". To which Miller had to pipe in and add insult to injury by saying, "he still has trouble staying away from a lot of things". Nice Johnny. Could you be more of a jackass? Is it me or was that comment completely uncalled for and unnecessary?

I was somewhat expecting to hear an on-air apology when the coverage came back from commercial, but that never came. Apparently Miller is exempt from having to do those types of things. Don't get me wrong, it's not as bad as Frank Nobilo's "2:30" joke, but nonetheless it was an on-air low blow that didn't need to be made.

As I'm sure you know, I'm not alone in my feelings for Johnny Miller. Recently there has been a group formed on Facebook called "Golf Fans who want NBC to retire Johnny Miller and replace him with Brad Faxon". I just joined, making myself the 285th member.

For more posts by Jeff Palopoli check out www.goodwalkgolf.com

Let me preface this by saying that by no means am I a Garth Brooks fan. My affinity for his music stops at "Friends in low places", and I'm sure I will take some flak for just that. But do any of you remember way back in 1999 when good ol' Garth came out with his alter ego persona Chris Gaines? Gaines was Brooks dressed up like a "rocker" with funky hair and a horrible soul patch under his lower lip. Brooks, excuse me Gaines, even released an album under that name which shockingly produced a Top 5 single.

But anyways, wouldn't it be awesome if Tiger did something similar for his comeback? Some tournaments he plays as Tiger Woods, and others he plays as a completely different character with a name like Jaguar Jones or something ridiculous. He dresses different, maybe like Rickie Fowler or someone with flair. Sports a soul patch and maybe bleaches his hair again like he did that one time.

Having Tiger back in the golf world isn't enough for me. I need him to do something ridiculous like this to keep it interesting. Be "regular Tiger" for The Masters, but then show up to The Players Championship rolling in a suped up Escalade with 20" spinner rims and step out with bright orange pants, big huge shades, the soul patch and bleached hair, donning a fur coat to complete the ensemble. Basically, come out looking like the custom built players I used to make when playing EA Sports Tiger Woods Golf for Playstation. I think it will go a long way with fans and keep people tuning in. Not that they'll need any other excuse to, but still. It would be cool.

For more posts check out: www.goodwalkgolf.com

In June of 2009 Ken Green's life was turned upside down. While travelling to a Champions Tour event in his RV, the right front tire blew, causing the vehicle to veer down a steep embankment and hit a tree. The crash killed his brother, girlfriend, and precious dog, all who were travelling with Green. Green sustained multiple injuries from the crash, most notably having to have the lower portion of his right leg amputated. Seven months later, fate dealt Green another heartache when he was informed that his 21 year-old son Hunter, was found dead in his SMU dorm room from a cause that is still unknown. Throughout it all Ken Green has shown a determination and positive attitude that not many could muster if put in a similar situation. I recently had an opportunity to catch up with Ken on a range of topics including how he is able to stay so positive to his earlier "bad boy" reputation on Tour.

First, I'd like to offer my deepest sympathies for all the losses you’ve suffered in the past year. You’ve been through so much since June ‘09, more than most people go through in a lifetime. How do you keep such a positive attitude through it all?

Ken Green:   I believe that the only way to move on without going insane is to keep a positive outlook on life. If you let the disaster get into your head you are just "as dead" as your loved ones. Cry but accept and cry some more and then move forward.

You’ve accomplished a lot in your career on the course. The 1989 Ryder Cup, 5 Tour victories, some great finishes in Majors. What are you most proud of?

Ken Green: My wins are clearly what I covet the most. The Ryder Cup was a thrill and an honor, but second. I also like the fact that I've won on four continents and had hole-in-ones on five continents.

You’re playing as Mike Reid’s partner at Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament at the end of April. Do you feel your game is close to where you’d like it to be for the event?

Ken Green: Mike Reid is an absolute angel for playing with me at The Legends, as my game will be about 70%. My hope is to be able to make a few birdies for him and tell him to grind hard Mr. Radar.

Physically, what’s been the biggest challenge for you now that you are back on the course?

Ken Green: The are two things thats are nightmares for me. Bunkers and the side hill lies are "ouch not again". The physical nerve pain drops you to the ground when it strikes. It is the most pain I have ever felt in my life. Sadly, it can last for up to two hours of serious intensity.

Your story has touched so many people and the entire golfing community seems to be behind you. Describe what that outpouring of support has meant to you. Was it at all surprising?

Ken Green: I have been astounded at the outpouring of love, support and generosity. Strangers, friends, and family have joined together to give me the oppurtunity to try and play professional golf again. Without them I would be in deep trouble as I had nothing to my name. They have shown me that with support your goals are acheiveable.

I know currently you have a dispute with the Champions Tour in regards to your major medical exemption. Is there anything new to report there that you could share?

Ken Green: As of right now there is nothing new to report on whether or not I receive the major medical exemption that I have asked for. I personally feel this is a no brainer and have only asked for what I had already earned. Only the Tour can answer that and certainly they will spin it so they don't look like they are doing anything wrong.

In regards to your reputation earlier on in your career as a bit of a “bad boy”, you were to somewhat of a lesser degree “John Daly” before John Daly. Do you regret any of those actions that may have led to that reputation? Most of those incidents, to me at least, seem to have all been in good fun and the PGA Tour being a little uptight.

Ken Green: I regret nothing that I have done in the past in regards to my actions. I never did anything with intent to hurt me or the game of golf. Somethings people may not have agreed with but I just simply enjoyed my life in golf, there is no better way to make a living. My "so called actions" today would not even being mentioned at all. The tour was simply not ready for me then, today they are.

Ken Green will be playing in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament on the Champions Tour when it takes place from April 23-25. Look for Ken when it's televised then on The Golf Channel and CBS.

You can follow Ken's come back at his website: www.kengreenscomeback.com. I'll also be checking in with Ken from time to time to see how is progress is coming along.

For more posts and interviews check out: http://goodwalkspoiled.wordpress.com

Much has been made about the new groove rule in effect this year. Just when the story seems to be dying down more fuel gets added to the fire (see Hunter Mahan's win last week). From discussing it with some players as well as reading the numerous articles that have been done on it, playing with the new conforming grooves is very different. Especially around the greens and out of the rough. But looking at the all of the winning scores for the tournaments so far this year, they point to either not making much of a difference, or more likely, that the players have adjusted to them well...and very quickly.

Take a look at the table below which compares the winning scores from 2009 to 2010 for the first eight tournaments of the year (not including WGC Accenture Match Play).

In some cases the winning scores were lower this year and in others slightly higher. So it appears to all even out in the wash. But in actuality 2010 scores best 2009 by -3! Personally I just think the players have really adjusted well to playing with the new conforming grooves. After all... "These guys are good".

For more posts visit: http://goodwalkspoiled.wordpress.com

Some of you may recognize Justin Peters from the very first season of The Big Break challenge on The Golf Channel in 2003. Justin was the inaugural champion and ever since has been hard at work on his game to try and get to that next level. I actually first met Justin almost 18 years ago while playing junior golf tournaments in Massachusetts. He was 15 years old and myself about a year older. Watching his game, he made an immediate impression on me, and even more so when he told me it was only his second season playing golf and was already a 1 handicap. He obviously an unbelievable natural talent for the game. Justin and I would go on to meet each other again occassionally in high school matches, where unfortunately I always fared on the losing end.

Peters made it to the final stage of Q-school this past December for the first time in 11 attempts. Like many mini-tour veterans, taking on the extreme financial burden of bankrolling themselves to try and fulfill their dream of one day making it to the PGA Tour, Justin has often contemplated giving up his PGA Tour aspirations. Making it to the final stage for the first time has given him new hope, as well as the confidence of knowing he's possibly one step closer to that prestigious moniker of "PGA Tour player".

You currently have conditional status on the Nationwide Tour this year. Can you clarify what that actually means, to give us an idea of some possible tournaments to keep an eye out for you at this year?

Justin Peters: To be a full member of the Nationwide tour you need to finish 26-60 on last years money list. Also, at Q-school top 25 and ties get PGA tour cards and the next number nearest 50 after that get full Nationwide status. The conditional members are the ones that finished from 61-100 on last years money list and everyone else that was at final stage of Q-school. After 7 events there will be a reshuffle according to money earned and that will determine who gets into the next 5 events. There will be a reshuffle after every 5 events. My best chance of getting into an event is probably the 9th event in South Carolina. I will attempt to monday qualify for the events before that. My first qualifying attempt will be March 22nd in Louisiana.

You've made 11 trips to Q-school and this past year you made it to the final stage for the first time. Talk a little bit about the confidence you gained from that experience and what you took away from it.

Justin Peters: It feels amazing to finally have made it to the finals of Q-school. Financially I should have probably quit about 5 years ago. I have never stopped believing I can do it and that I belong on the PGA tour. This year at second stage was the most internal pressure I have ever felt. I knew that if I didn't make it through I was going to be forced to quit pursuing the dream. I gained a lot of confidence from performing the way I did under that pressure. I have shown improvement every year. I truly enjoy the journey of getting better. I have many friends on the Nationwide and PGA tours. I feel comfotable out there and I am looking forward to the upcoming years.

How do you feel about where your game is right now? Are there any aspects of it that you aren't happy with and feel you need more work on?

Justin Peters: I feel very good  about my game right now. I have been working with Bill McInerney Jr. for the last couple of years. I have seen great progress. He made it very clear to me some of the changes I needed to make. I would say only about 20% were physical changes. He helped me understand the importance of organizing goals and creating action plans to reach those goals. He also helped me understand how to focus only on the things you have control of. He has made an amazing website to help everyone with these sort of things. The website is www.mygolfinggoals.com. I feel I don't have any weak parts of my game right now, but I feel I have room for improvement in every area.

Currently you're playing with no sponsorships, taking on all the financial burden yourself of trying fulfill your dream. Does that give you an added level of stress when playing or attempting to play your way in to tournaments? Or are you able to mentally block that aspect out of the equation?

Justin Peters: For ten years of playing professional I have had to deal with money issues almost every year. I was fortunate enough to play two of those years with a full sponsor and that is when I played my best golf. I was only trying to win trophies. I used to have a very hard time dealing with the fact that I needed to make a check to pay bills. I have gotten much better over the years with dealing with that adversity. Even though I have been winning a lot of tournaments in the last couple of years, I have not been able to break even financially. I have been relying on my friends at Chase and Capital One for their support. Lucky for me they only charge 10% interest!

You turned professional right out of college, and won the Big Break in 2003. So you've been at this a long time and have had a lot of success on the mini tours. What kind of advice would you give to a guy coming out of college and turning professional?

Justin Peters: It is amazing how fast the time goes by. I do feel like a veteran now. I did turn pro right after graduating. I have been very lucky to have had as many experiences(good and bad) as I have had. I have played on a few tours that stole all the players money and disapeared. I have been able to travel the world and play on just about every type of golf course. The best advice I can give to someone who is turning pro is to remember that is still just golf. Whether you are a pro or amateur. The course doesn't change. A 67 is always going to be a good score. I would tell them to just keep trying to have fun and keep working at being the best you can be at the things you have control over.

This year at Q-school you had a great showing at Second Stage, coming in 4th. You also had a hole-in-one on the final day, giving you some breathing room from the cut line. Does that rank up there as one of the most memorable experiences in your career?

Justin Peters: I would say that was pretty memorable for me. The golf course we were playing was very difficult and you could make a couple of triple bogeys in a heart beat. So I knew the farther away from the cut line I could get, the better. I was playing very steady on the front nine the final day and shot 2 under. I started the day in 6th and was 4 shots ahead of the projected cutline with nine holes to play. I hit an 8 iron on the eleventh hole and watched it one hop into the hole. I don't think I have ever screamed so loud on the golf course. At that moment it was clear to me that it was finally my time to move on. The funny thing is 2 months earlier I predicted I would make a hole in one at Q-school. The power of the mind is amazing.

For more on Justin, click here to visit his website. I will also be regularly checking in on his progress throughout the season.

For more posts and interviews check out: http://goodwalkspoiled.wordpress.com

Some may consider this the best utility club in the bag

Someone recently asked me what my most memorable experience on a golf course was. I didn't have to think too long before I narrowed it down to two different occassions. This past Summer I got to play a round of golf with a group of childhood friends, one of them being one of my best friends whom I haven't seen in a few years. It was a perfect New England Summer day and we were playing a beautiful, challenging course not far from Cape Cod. What made it extra special was that I played a great round for me, shooting even par 72. A score I haven't even sniffed for years. It was great to play so well with buddies who all share a similar competitive spirit. That experience ranks up there on my list. But what wins out for me is the time when my buddy, and sometimes GoodWalk contributor, Mark literally crapped his pants in the middle of a round. 

It was close to dusk and we were 16 years old playing our 9 hole course in which we were junior members at. At that time of the day we usually had the course to ourselves, which in this case would be a blessing. We had just teed of the par 5 3rd hole and were walking towards our drives when Mark said, "Dude, I need to take a sh*t". I told him I'd play on and carry his bag as he raced off towards the clubhouse which was not very close by. After just hitting my second shot I heard him screaming for me through the trees, down towards the 2nd green. 

Mark: "Jeff! I didn't make it!"
Me not hearing him: "What??!"
Mark, screaming louder this time: "I didn't make it!... I sh*t my pants!" 

I nearly fell over from laughter before I could shoulder the two bags and huff it down to the 2nd green to find him. There's a lot of things I never need to see in my life and this was one of them. Mark, bare-ass on the edge of the woods wearing nothing but a neon-green golf shirt (it was 1991 after all) and a pair of spikes, shaking out his pair of shorts to get all of the poopie-doops out. Little did I realize that his shorts were in fact a bathing suit in which he decided to NOT wear any underwear with either.  So everything leaked down through the mesh lining of his bathing suit and down the backs of his legs. Even describing this here is bringing back horrible flashbacks at the moment. 

We had to make our way back to the clubhouse and since we didn't have our licenses yet, I had to call his father from a payphone to come pick us up at the course. That was an awkward conversation to say the least. 

The ride home was spent between burying my face under my shirt and hanging my head out the window to avoid the fowl smell that would not escape Mr. H's car for weeks. 

This is a memory I'm sure I'll never forget and something Mark has never lived down of course. It's rare that we now play a round together where that doesn't get brought up, but I've also learned from that experience. Every time we play together now I make sure to have a roll of toilet paper in my bag... just in case.

Earlier this week PGA.com asked the question of it's readers, "What hole would you want to play in front of a gallery". They then broke them all down in an article by John Kim on their site, quoting some of it's readers for various holes. By the way, your's truly was quoted for #13 at Augusta. Just saying...

Watching this week's Waste Management Phoenix Open and seeing the 16th hole made me think "What hole would you NOT want to play in front of a gallery?" Personally, I think I'd have to go with #16 here. Probably for obvious reasons. The amount of people (well lubricated people at that), the unbelievable pressure to hit the green, and then add in the chanting/taunting factor. Yikes, no thanks.

I guess you can think of this in two ways. Would I want to play this hole in front of a gallery with my 6 handicap (on my best days)? Or would I want to play it if I were a pro who had the confidence and the mental capacity to block out all of those variables. Being regular 'ol me... I'll pass. Pro Jeff? Sure bring it on!

Also ranking up there would have to be #17 at Sawgrass. I just know I'd go all Roy McAvoy on that hole and dunk five balls or more in to the drink. Just dealing with the crowd, the crazy cross-winds, and all that wet stuff, is enough to make your knees buckle.

So tell me, what holes would you NOT want to play in front of a crowd? Are there any? 

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"Hello friends...this question comes in via Twitter from Jeff..."

I recently read an article by Frazier Moore (AP Television writer) about how golf television coverage can survive in Tiger's absence. He cited CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus saying "We’re all looking forward to him coming back, but until then we’re doing perfectly fine". I know everyone is putting on a brave face during this time while Tiger is away, but it was also stated in the article that they see rating drops of between 20-50% when Tiger is not in the field. I don't know about you, but the higher end of that range seems like a huge number, no? On the flip-side though the article went on to state that for the first three tournaments of the year Networks saw a 29% increase over last year. I found that number to be both surprising and uplifting. 

I made the statement in a post earlier this week that the PGA Tour needs to figure something out in Tiger's absence, both in the short and long-term. But now according to those numbers, maybe they don't! A comment was made to me via Twitter in response to that statement that the responsibility also falls on the players to draw interest. No doubt, I completely agree with that. Does the likes of Steve Stricker draw in the casual golf fan? Certainly not as much as possibly Rickie Fowler and Camilo Villegas. However, I do think that the PGA Tour as a business, in conjunction with the television networks and advertisers need to think of ways to draw in fans and keep them interested. Make television viewing more of an interactive experience.  

Why not have viewers tweet questions to a special tournament Twitter account that will be sifted through producers on the back-end and then answered on air by announcers like Nick Faldo, David Feherty, etc. There are numerous ways that the networks and the Tour can make it a more interactive and engaging experience for viewers, which will in the end draw fans. Maybe even select fans to ask questions on air via Skype? They would have to be done in such a way that it does not infringe on actually viewing the golf. But there are countless times when you can tell the announcer is talking just to talk, which we know can get them in to trouble at times (hello Frank Nobilo). Having these at the ready could help fill some of that time.   

Also, web capabilities and technologies through the TV are getting better and better. Hopefully it's not long before you can customize a leaderboard on your TV screen to follow the players you want. I find it so frustrating not knowing where some of my favorite players stand, if they don't fall within the first two pages of the leaderboard. You have to wait until they do the full leaderboard scroll which seems to only happen once an hour or so. Better yet, how about being able to overlay on a portion of your TV your favorite player's Shot Tracker (who as you know is my mistress)? I'm just tossing these out there as they come to me, so feel free to tear them apart at will. But I also challenge you to throw out some of your own ideas below in the comments.

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Throughout the season I've been regularly catching up with PGA Tour rookie Chris Wilson to get insight in to his experience on Tour. So far Chris has made 3 cuts out of the 5 tournaments he's palyed and it seems like his game is right on the cusp of bigger things. This week he's getting his first experience as to being an alternate, waiting to get in to the field in Phoenix. He is currently in line as the 4th alternate to get a spot at this week's Waste Management Open.

You're starting to gain some great experience with so many tournaments early on and making some cuts. How would you grade yourself so far?

Players are their own toughest critics, but while trying to be completely honest I would say B-, to make 3/5 cuts to begin my rookie year is nice, but on the other hand 50th being my best finish is a little frustrating.  I have definitely not played anywhere near my best golf, but the more experience I get and the 1% better my game improves each week the closer I will be to competing week in and week out.

As a follow up on your self grading, your game seems to be right there. Save for a couple holes each tournament your finishes would be much better. Is there one aspect of your game that you think is hindering you in putting up better finishes?

You can point out several small things that are holding me back slightly right now, but I would say the biggest issue so far has been inconsistency with my ball striking.  This is interesting and a good sign to me because all my life my ball striking has been the strongest part of my game which I usually had to rely on.  This means my short game and putting have improved immensely, which I have been working on very hard.  I know some good finishes are right around the corner, just have to remain patient and grind things out when you don't have your best which I feel like I am doing a decent job of so far.

For Chris' thoughts on his experience at Pebble Beach, check out more after the jump.

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For fans of the Golf Channel's Big Break, Mike Perez needs no introduction. This was my first season really watching the show, and my first thought during the premiere was, "Who do you have to know to get on this show?" There was former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's son (Andrew), famous soap opera actress Susan Lucci's son (Andreas Huber), and PGA Tour star Pat Perez's brother (Mike). However, it didn't take very long to see that Mike certainly deserved to be there - he had some serious game. Week in and week out Mike hit the clutch shots under tremendous pressure when it counted. No stranger to professional golf, Mike turned pro at the age of 20 and has had numerous stints on the Nationwide Tour and has made it to the final stage of Q-school five times. I recently caught up with Mike on a range of topics, from where his game is right now to what it was like dealing with Andrew Giuliani.

How are you feeling about where your game is right about now?

Mike Perez: The game is feeling much better since the show.  After watching the show I saw how bad my swing was.  I was picking the club straight up and  would cause it to go in every direction.  About a month or two after we filmed I got a bruised tendon in my left thumb and was not able to play for about  4 1/2 months and I also missed Q school.  So that was a bummer.  But now everything is a lot better and the scores are dropping.

What are your goals for the 2010 season?

Mike Perez: My goals for 2010 is to some how play my way back on the Nationwide Tour.  I am going to have to Monday Qualify in a lot of them and hope to get invited into a couple of them. My agents are working very hard to get me in anything that could help me get out there.  If that goes as planned then I will go right into Q school and try and make my number better.  I will also play a couple of Gateway tour events here in Scottsdale.

For more with Mike Perez, check out the rest of the interview after the jump!

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