April 2012 Newsletter

The Masters: A Tradition Unlike Any Other.

It’s April, and for golfers everywhere that means one thing – the Masters.
Charl Schwartzel returns to Augusta National Golf Club as the reigning Masters champion but the focus will be on three storylines:
1. Will Rory McIlroy, the U.S. Open champion, avenge his back-nine collapse from a year ago to win the Green Jacket?
2. Will Tiger Woods, always a threat at Augusta National, finally break through to win a fifth Masters title?
3. Will Luke Donald, the under-stated No. 1-ranked golfer in the world get the respect he deserves and shove the higher-profile players like McIlroy and Woods out of the limelight?

Here’s what each of those players had to say on the way to Augusta National:
McIlroy, after winning The Honda Classic: “I always felt like when I played my best, I would be hard to beat. But I feel at the minute, even if I don't play my best golf, I can still challenge, which gives me a lot of confidence. When I'm firing on all cylinders, I feel like I'm hard to beat, but I still feel like I can play better than what I did (at The Honda).”
Woods, after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first victory on the PGA Tour since September, 2009: “I’m excited, no doubt. I’m looking forward to the momentum I’ve built here … I understand how to play Augusta National, and it's just a matter of executing the game plan.”
Donald, after regaining the No. 1 ranking in the world with his victory at the Transitions Championship: “I'll probably be able to go about my business with a bit more attention now, but again, I've been through that. I still think Rory and obviously Tiger will be getting a lot of the attention. In the long run, yes, there probably is an advantage to me. I can kind of go about my business and not have to deal with as much as those two are dealing with.”

How Much Do You Know About the Masters?

A year ago, we talked about the mystique of Augusta National with five factoids (check the April, 2011, newsletter on this website). This month we’ll add to the list with five more.
1. Call it aging elegantly. Jack Nicklaus has won the Masters six times, more than any other golfer. The last came in 1986 at age 46. In 1993, Nicklaus, at 53, became the oldest player to lead after 18 holes. Lee Trevino (49) became the oldest 36-hole leader in 1989. Kenny Perry is the oldest ever to lead after 54 holes. Perry was 48 years, 8 months and 1 day old when he shared the lead after three rounds in 2009 before eventually losing a playoff to Angel Cabrera.
2. The Masters has been decided 14 times in a playoff. Eight of those, since 1979, have been in sudden-death. Five have been settled in an 18-hole playoff, one in a 36-hole playoff (1935).
3. The winning margin at the Masters has been 1 stroke on 23 occasions.
4. Last year, Charl Schwartzel joined a small group of eight Masters champions who never led after 18, 36 or 54 holes but claimed the Green Jacket. Ironically, it has been done the last two years (Phil Mickelson, 2010) and three times in the last five years (Zach Johnson, 2007).
5. Can you identify the career scoring leader among golfers who have played at least 100 rounds at the Masters? He’s a past champion. It’s Fred Couples who has a 71.90 scoring average in 104 rounds. He will play in his 28 th Masters this week.

Odyssey Metal-X Putters A Hit on Tour

The new Odyssey Metal-X line of insert putters will be available at your Golf Headquarters in April.
Callaway Golf is introducing the latest line of insert putters with a lightweight aluminum face in front of a urethane backer layer. The Metal-X putters feature a crisp feedback with a softer feel for optimal touch, something all golfers crave.
Don’t ever underestimate the significance of aesthetics when it comes to club selection, especially putters. The Metal-X gets high marks with its sleek midnight black finish and a textured face that delivers a truer, more consistent roll.
Callaway relied on substantial feedback from its staff of tour players who requested the feel of a more metallic face. The face pattern on the Metal-X putters is unique. The oval depressions create a mechanical lock at impact with the dimples on the ball. According to Callaway, the mechanical lock creates more friction, which delivers a lower launch with optimized topspin for reduced skidding and the truest roll in the game through steady ball deceleration. The new putter has a solid yet soft sound which enhances the feel.
The Metal-X putters will be available in a variety of Odyssey models familiar with golfers.

PING Unveils Adjustable Length Belly Putter

Custom fitting has always been a priority at PING, and now the company is offering a belly putter that can be adjusted to increase the range of possibilities for golfers old and new to the belly craze.
The Nome™ 405 putter lets a golfer adjust the length within a 9-inch range. The adjustable belly putter allows golfers to experiment with different lengths to find the optimum range for posture, eye position and path of the stroke for maximum consistency, solid impact and comfort.
The Nome putter can be adjusted from 37 1/2 inches to 46 ½ inches. An adjustable tool threads into a locking ring on the shaft which loosens the ring and allows the shaft to slide telescopically. Once the length is adjusted as desired, it is locked into place and secured. The shaft is available in three bends to match Straight, Slight Arc, and Strong Arc stroke types. This coincides with PING’s Fit for Stroke ™ putter-fitting concept.
The mallet-style head features a black alignment bar and white contrasting sightline. The Winn AVS 21-inch belly grip is standard. The lie is adjustable plus/minus 2 degrees from standard. PING’s adjustable length putter will be available in Golf Headquarters stores in May.

Cleveland Is Back With Another Winning Wedge

The 588 Forged Black Pearl wedge is an extension of Cleveland Golf’s popular line that was released last fall. The 588 Forged Black Pearl wedge has the same popular shape combined with modern advances in technology.
Precision Forged from 1025 carbon steel, the Forged Black Pearl wedge has an exceptionally soft feel without sacrificing a solid feel. Cleveland prides itself on manufacturing consistency which allows golfers to trust the outcome every time.
The Forged Black Pearl wedge has Tour Zip Grooves and Laser Milled technology for maximum spin within the rules. It comes with a Tour Concept Wedge steel shaft, co-developed and engineered by Cleveland Golf and True Temper.
The stiffness profile features a less active tip and promotes a more penetrating ball flight, increased spin and optimal distance control. The new wedge will be available in Golf Headquarters stores in April.

The Calendar

April 5-8 Masters Tournament Augusta National GC, Augusta, Ga
Defencing Champion: charl Schwartzel
April 12-15 RBC Heritage Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, SC
Defending Champion: Brandt Snedeker
April 19-22 Valero Texas Open, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Defending Champion Brendan Steele
April 26-29 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, LA
Defending Champion Bubba Watson

Parting Shot

“What's great about Augusta is it's playable for the average guy. The average guy can go out there and play it, and he always has a shot. He's never in a situation where he has to pick up and he can't find his ball. He's always playing. And yet, for the good player, it's extremely challenging to score well.” – Phil Mickelson, three-time Masters champion (2004, 2006, 2010).

Articles provided by Vartan Kupelian.
Vartan Kupelian spent 40 years writing sports for daily newspapers, 37 of those at The Detroit News before he left that distinguished newspaper in August, 2008. He is the immediate past president of the Golf Writers Association of America. You can reach him at: golfstix@vartangolflive.com.