WGT Golf News

By The Armchair Golfer

Natalie Gulbis at a recent skills challenge. Zach Johnson looks on.
(Photos courtesy of RSM McGladrey)

[WGT Note: Our Pinehurst vacation trip winners were there the same week, and some got to meet Ms. Gulbis as well!]

Natalie Gulbis is one of the most recognizable female golfers on the planet. Only 26, Natalie is completing her eighth season on the LPGA Tour. Yes, eight seasons. It’s kind of hard to believe.

Natalie has won one LPGA title and played on three victorious U.S. Solheim Cup teams. She has five top 10 finishes in majors. And, of course, she is a golfer-model, with looks and sex appeal that attract legions of admirers and land her in magazine spreads and on TV programs such as “The Celebrity Apprentice” and her own reality show on the Golf Channel.

What is Natalie like up close? What is it like to talk to her?

I can tell you—at least a little bit—because I stood with her under a canopy on the 10th tee of Pinehurst No. 8 last week.

I was a sponsor’s guest at the finals of the McGladrey Team Championship, a national best-ball amateur tournament. In addition to attending the festivities and VIP activities such as a skills challenge, I had the opportunity to talk to Natalie, Zach Johnson and Chris DiMarco, the three RSM McGladrey tour pros.

I didn’t know exactly when or where I’d have my chat with the three tour players. Although I had prepared some questions and carried a tiny digital voice recorder in my pocket, I knew I better be ready for anything. This would not be sit-downs or in-depth interviews. I was there to take in the experience, including my encounters with Natalie, Zach and Chris.

Natalie was first. I introduced myself and shook her hand. We talked, sometimes whispering, as amateur teams teed off in the three-day competition. She stepped away a couple of times for photographs with the teams, as did Zach, who stood nearby.

Natalie is personable and direct. She is totally at ease and an eager advocate for the women’s game, charities and her sponsors. Although she has fielded thousands of questions, this may be the first time she was asked this opener.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: I have to ask you a couple of questions for my daughters. My 9-year-old wants to know your favorite color.

NATALIE GULBIS: My favorite color is purple.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: My 14-year-old daughter wants to know if you have any pets.

NATALIE GULBIS: I don’t have any pets. I had pets growing up, but now since I turned professional it’s too hard to be on the road and have pets. Stuffed animals is about the extent. My family does, though. My family in Sacramento has a dog and a cat.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What’s it been like for you to be associated with this event and the Special Olympics?

NATALIE GULBIS: It’s been great. It’s been an honor to be associated with RSM McGladrey, to be part of a team. We always consider ourselves to be a team. I’ve learned so much from them. And then with their partnership with the Special Olympics, to be able to be involved in Special Olympics in golf and help them raise money and raise awareness has been a pure joy.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: It looked like you were really having a good time at the auction last night.

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, last night was fun.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Raised a lot of money.

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, 34 grand.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: And your group went for $10,000? (Note: A two-day outing with Natalie for four people was a feature of the Special Olympics golf live auction the night before.)

NATALIE GULBIS: $10,000.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: So, I was looking at your schedule and you’re on your way to Korea after this?

NATALIE GULBIS: Actually, I pulled out of Korea. I would have normally went to Korea tonight and played Japan next week.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: I was thinking, “Wow, what a schedule.”

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, that was a little bit too much. You get over there and you lose a day.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s your back? (Note: Natalie has had back problems for at least two years.)

NATALIE GULBIS: Good. Very good, thank you.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Are you doing some new strength work?

NATALIE GULBIS: Different. I changed my work. I used to do much more overall strength and now I just do core strength.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Your back has been good all year?

NATALIE GULBIS: At times, yes.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Backs are tough in golf, aren’t they?

NATALIE GULBIS: They are.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s your game and what are you working on?

NATALIE GULBIS: Right now I am working and spending a lot of time on my short game. I’ve been striking the ball well, I’ve been putting well, but missed a lot of opportunities for up and downs when I’ve missed greens so I’ve been working on my short game a lot.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Tough year in golf for all tours. What’s it been like to see events like the Corning Classic go away?

NATALIE GULBIS: Middle of the year it was really scary. We had 10 events up for renewal and we didn’t know how many of those we were going to re-sign. But we’ve had some pretty good momentum here in the last couple of months and we got the preview of our schedule for 2010 and it looks like we’re only going to lose two tournaments. That was big.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Have you gotten used to playing without Annika out there or does it still feel sort of strange?

NATALIE GULBIS: It definitely does when she’s the past champion of a tournament and she’s not there to defend. You just miss seeing her on leaderboards, seeing her on the putting green. She was one of my best friends on tour. We used to rent a house every year at the British Open. You see her name on past champions at most of our tournaments. To think that she’s not in the field any more is sad.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Have you seen the baby (Annika’s first child born in September)?

NATALIE GULBIS: No, just pictures. I hope to meet her in January. I’ll probably go down to Florida to see her.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What is your best advice for the amateur golfer?

NATALIE GULBIS: Spend as much time on the short game as they can. That’s usually the ultimate goal, to shoot lower scores. You can’t do that without working on your short game.

By Doug Farrick

So my brother is heading on a honeymoon in Spain. I am a wee bit jealous as Spain is, strangely, one of the few countries I have not visited in Europe – why, I'm not exactly sure.

One of my favorites artists, Picasso, of course hails from Spain and my first stop would probably be the Museu Picasso in Barcelona. I have visited the Picasso Museum in Paris – and it was just fabulous.

So besides the Picasso museum and a tour of the incredible Antoni Gaudi architecture in Barcelona – I would HAVE to get in some golf.

One destination that I have heard great things about from my European friends is the La Manga golf resort – a 1,400 acre sporting paradise nestled between the low hills which separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor sea in south eastern Spain in the southeast corner of Southern Spain.

The La Manga Club & Resort has always been synonymous with golf and with its three championship courses and outstanding practice facilities, it is hardly surprising that it has been voted Europe's top golf resort twice in the past five years.

The 3 courses are the North, South and West (did they forget the East one?) The South is considered the premier layout which was reworked by Arnold Palmer in the early 1990's. The other two courses are quite challenging as well, but in different ways.

The South Course has been the venue for many major professional tournaments; Spanish Opens (both ladies' and men's), PGA Championships and Qualifying Schools for both the men's and ladies' European Tours.

The North course (6,291 yards) has more palm trees, lakes, larger greens, tighter fairways and 'barrancas'. These natural storm gullies feature on all three golf courses and add an extra dimension to the game.

The West course is set amid serene pine woodlands, the West Course's design closely follows the natural contours of the undulating land. Its distinct character makes it a good alternative to the other, more classical championship courses.

The West is many golfers' favorite, both because of its unique setting and outstanding views. It weighs in a bit longer than the North at 6,529 yards.

We've made it a goal to do more traveling the next few years and with the kids getting older. One stop will surely be La Manga in Southern Spain.

"If I had to choose one golf course to play before I die, it would be the South Course at La Manga."
- Lord Deedes – Editor of the Daily Telegraph

It's time for another replay roundup. Enjoy!

• Slam dunk for an eagle on Kiawah #10 by kosei82
• In from the bunker on BPB #15 by broy22
• 51 ft eagle on Kiawah #7 by Alacowboy
• Bounce-in eagle by Kaslo on BPB #1

Happy Halloween WGTers! We hope you enjoy this weekend's festivities and all the tasty treats.

Photo: Southernpixel/Flickr

As you may have heard, the People v The Pros event was cancelled this year, but WGT decided to send the winners of the PVP tournament series on a Pinehurst vacation anyway. Last week, the attendees enjoyed five days of golf and leisure at Pinehurst resort, played the historic No 2 course, and had a great time bonding with each other. The pictures are starting to trickle in, and here are some of them!

Photo by Gitthe: From left, Gitthe, Jarid, Brandi35, Jalaii, and Nivlac

From the attendees:

• Check out Nivlac's post about the trip here.
• Brandi35's photos of the trip

By Ryan Ballengee

Multiple magazines and websites are reporting that Michael Whan will be introduced as the 8th commissioner of the LPGA Tour at a 9am press conference at Madison Square Garden.  Currently, Whan serves as the CEO of Mission-ITECH Hockey. 

Mission and ITECH merged together in 2004.  Mission Hockey was considered a leader in roller hockey and ITECH was a specialist in protective hockey gear.  The combined organization had roots in both California and Montreal, Canada.  In the transaction, Whan was elevated from CEO of Mission to boss of the combined company.

Photo: The new LPGA Commissioner (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)

The company continued for four years when, in late 2008, Mission-ITECH was purchased by Bauer Hockey.  Facilities in New York and Quebec were closed in May 2009 as part of the acquisition.  140 jobs were to be lost in the process.

At the time of the announced acquisiton, Whan said, "Consolidation is essential for the long-term success of the overall hockey industry. [The companies'] combined commitment will only help increase the overall health of the industry and of the sport itself."

Reports from hockey insiders indicated that Bauer was interested in Mission-ITECH's protective gear products for goalies. The brand was to be removed and all Mission-ITECH products would be rebranded as Bauer.

Earlier in the same year, Bauer Hockey was purchased from its owner Nike for some $200 million by Kohlberg and Company.

Kohlberg and Company is the current employer of Jonathan Ward, a man thought to be a serious candidate for the LPGA commissioner position.

That's where the known facts end.  It is not difficult to make inferences about the financial strength of Bauer after its acquisition of Mission-ITECH in a floundering economy.  Perhaps Whan's job security was in question and, given that, Kohlberg and Company made the connection between Whan, his golf experience at TaylorMade-adidas & Wilson Golf, and the open position for the LPGA commissionership.

Shop our new WGT Fan Store for the perfect gift for you or someone on your holiday list. Featured items include WGT calendars, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, mousepads and more! Visit our store today.

By The Armchair Golfer

Photo: The Payne Stewart statue on the Walk of Fame at Pinehurst.
(scbluedevil/Flickr)

Sunday will mark the 10th anniversary of the untimely death of Payne Stewart, a multiple major winner and one of the PGA Tour’s charismatic personalities. In remembrance of Stewart’s impact both on and off the golf course, Golf Channel will air a one-hour special on Sunday at noon Eastern Time.

Hosted by Kraig Kann, Steve Sands and Charlie Rymer, the special will feature the most memorable moments in Payne’s career, including:

• The donation of his winnings to charity from the 1987 Bay Hill Invitational.
• His passion and patriotism for the Ryder Cup, and a look back at his five performances, including his concession to Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
• His three major championship victories, including the dramatic 1999 U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst over Phil Mickelson.

Golf Channel’s Scott Walker will visit with Stewart’s family at the recently opened Payne Stewart Golf Club in his home state of Missouri. The special will also include interviews with fellow PGA Tour professionals and friends in the golf community who will share their memories of Payne.

Have a great weekend everyone! Here are some great replays for your enjoyment:

• Pinehurst Challenge Ace by MikeMaas
• 151 yrd eagle on Bethpage #16 by gardenweasel
• Awesome eagle on Kiawah #6 by birdwell
• Kiawah Challenge Ace by DarkoPancev

By John Diekmann

Admit it, you sway, I sway, we all sway. Many times when my game falters I can trace it to the dreaded sway. Unfortunately this usually doesn’t happen until I’ve looked a lot of other places first. Even your putts aren’t safe from the dreaded sway.

Golf involves a lot of movement; twisting, turning, weight shifting, coiling, releasing and who knows what else. Given all that movement it’s easy to see in hindsight why swaying can creep into your swing again and again.

Swaying has to do with moving your core—the spine. Basically the golf swing is a coiling and uncoiling around the spine. The spine is the center of your swing. If it moves your control over hitting the point of impact you’re aiming for is severely compromised.

Poor spine management leads to swaying left and right and also up and down. When your spine is still, the chances of bringing the club at impact back to where it was at setup is greatly improved.

If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty in the best golf swings, then the spine tilt does change slightly during the downswing for full shots as the hip moves out and around. This helps you stay behind the ball at impact. However, this does not mitigate in the slightest that a major problem in poor shots is spine movement. If you don’t believe me, then exaggerate a sway in hitting practice shots and see how that works for you!

There are lots of gizmos and practice tips to keep the spine from swaying. However, there is a better and simpler way. Put your consciousness in your spine while you swing. Focus on feeling the rest of your body rotate around it. Do this for every club from putter to driver. If you do this, at first you’ll be surprised how much you are swaying. It’s not easy to keep still and takes a significant amount of core strength.

One of the shots where it’s easiest to feel sway and practice eliminating it is the greenside chip. If you’ve been having problems making solid contact, you’ll find that keeping your spine still will quickly build your confidence. You’ll stop worrying about hitting it fat or thin and start thinking about holing these shots. Stopping the sway is that powerful!