Price: $39.99
To activate, simply dive under water for one minute. Material dimpled PVA absorbs water quickly due to its highly absorbent properties. Wipe exposed skin experience the refreshing cooling sensation created by evaporation. Its operation is similar to how the sweat on the skin evaporates to cool, but it is described as "supercharger cooling by evaporation of the body system", according to the packaging of the product. ". This large size towel will remain hydrated for several hours and can be quickly reactivated. KewlTowel ™ is packaged in a reusable plastic tube to store.
Just roll up the wet towel after use, put back in the tube and damp store or high power off leave until the towel is completely dry. The KewlTowel ™ will become once steep it drys out. Once dry, replace the top and KewlTowel ™ is ready to be reactivated if necessary. The material will weaken again hydrated. Easy to use but also easy to maintain, the KewlTowel is machine washable with mild detergent. Perfect for athletes, safe for children and very versatile, KewlTowel ™ is useful in a variety of activities to keep cool and comfortable.
Beat the summer heat and protect from heat stress and fatigue with KewlTowel ™. For more information or to locate an authorized dealer, please contact TechNiche International at 760-476-0654 or toll free at 1-888-823-2665.
TechNiche International designs and manufactures a complete line of heating and cooling products, including jackets HyperKewl ™ cooling evaporative and accessories, jackets TechKewl ™ Phase change cooling and accessories, DryKewl ™ vests and accessories, KewlFlow ™, circulatory cooling systems, KewlFit ™ Performance jackets, jackets ThermaFur ™ Air activated heating accessories and vests IonGear ™ Battery Powered heating personal. Visit our Web site at www.techniche-intl.com for more information.
Price: $29.99
The 2013 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship field has been announced, and currently features more than 200 participants, who will compete, May 10-12, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The 54-hole, stroke-play event will consist of four team divisions — NCAA Men’s Division I, II and NAIA as well as a Women’s Division.
In addition to the team competition, the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship features a men's and women's Individual Invitational that is open to collegiate golfers who are African-American, Hispanic-American, Native or Alaskan American, Asian or Pacific Island American.
Four division champions will look to defend their titles in the 27th edition of this National Championship. Justin Watkins from the University of Central Oklahoma (Men's Individual), the University of Texas-Pan American (Division I Men's), Bethune-Cookman University (Women's Division) and Fayettville State University (Division II Men's) will all return to PGA Golf Club in 2013.
Bethune-Cookman University's women's team will be seeing their Championship-record ninth title, Fayetteville State University their eighth division crown, and Texas-Pan American their sixth men's Division 1 title.
Ariel McNair of Xavier University, the Women's Independent Division champion in 2012, will not participate in this year's Championship. In addition, there was no NAIA competition held in 2012.
Brown Capital Management will mark its third year as the presenting sponsor of the Championship. They will also remain the presenting sponsor of the Championship's one-hour Golf Channel highlight show scheduled to debut Wednesday, July 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The Business of Golf Career Expo, which remains a staple of the Championship, features golf industry associations and companies that enable student-athletes to learn about additional employment opportunities in manufacturing, media, trade, golf course management and the game's premier governing bodies, will take place again in 2013.
About the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship
The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship presented by Brown Capital Management originated in November 1986 following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament and has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities to more players to compete in a national championship.
The 1986 organizational meeting brought together a significant group of founders: the late Dr. Herschel Cochrane; Dr. Joe D. Saunders of the National Negro Golf Association; Jackson State University Golf Coach Eddie Payton; Rose Harper-Elder of the Sports Management Institute; and William (Bill) Dickey, founder of the Bill Dickey Scholarship Association and recipient of the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award. The founders' goal was to provide a national stage for players from minority colleges and universities after being denied opportunities to compete in NCAA Collegiate golf events.
The inaugural Championship was conducted in the spring of 1987 at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1998, PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has been host to the Championship, and in 2006, The PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the Championship by the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund.
In 1990, a Career Fair was conducted for the first time in conjunction with the national Championship to provide corporate sponsors the opportunity to interview and recruit outstanding college students for future employment. As a result, the Career Fair has developed into an invaluable resource to assist students in gaining internships and full-time positions within the golf industry.
In 2008, the Championship featured a record number of participants, with nearly 200 students from 47 schools, with representatives from 14 countries.
In 2011, The PGA of America announced that Brown Capital Management., an investment management firm based in Baltimore, Md., had become the presenting sponsor of the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship and the one-hour Golf Channel Highlight Show.
About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
Price: $29.99
The bridal fair featured over 20 designers and vendors, all with the collaborative goal of assisting brides-to-be as they search for their dream wedding gown and accessories. “Today’s brides care about the details that make their wedding special—from DIY-favors and décor, to the craftsmanship and production behind the dress,” said Christen Schneider founder and coordinator that brought this first bridal event to life. “Wed Altered is more than a boutique—it’s a community and movement for bridal options that align with personal style and ethical consumer values.”
“It was a great opportunity to get in front of brides, as they search of one-of-a-kind gowns from such an esteemed group of designers. We were proud to be associated with such an event and look forward to the next one this October,” says Brooklyn-based designer Tony Hamawy. “We need to have more events like this in the industry so the public knows that there are so many more wedding gown options out there.”
About Wed Altered
Wed Altered is a pop-up bridal boutique filled with ethical and eco-friendly wedding dresses, veils, accessories and more. Wed Altered aims to offer socially conscious, green, offbeat, alternative, or all around one-of-a-kind wedding options. For information, visit wedaltered.com.
About Tony Hamawy
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, American designer Tony Hamawy was raised in the garment business. After learning the industry in the family firm, he went on to apprentice with a traditional women’s clothier. There he trained in the old-world methods of couture and handwork.
Positions with various well-known Lebanese designers, catering to the fashion elite of the Gulf and Europe, eventually spurred Tony to formal study in Paris. After completing his education in French fashion design there, his journey brought him to New York to begin his own line in 2007. His vision is to combine European detailing with New York flair in elegant but playful collections?of bridal dresses and evening wear. For more information, visit www.TonyHamawy.com
Price: $ 45
She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame members Annika Sorenstam and LPGA major 10 time winner to participate as a member of the American PGA North Florida PGA section. Officially become PGA members based on the Solheim Cup and winning major championships in her participation in valid period qualified Sorenstam was selected PGA membership 4/19.
Sorenstam pursues the PGA membership decision is part of the game to promote Golf and growing health and wellness benefits of her passion. She chose many other current and past PGA and LPGA Tour players PGA membership following the. Leader Sorenstam section and Sheila Johnson, Member of the North Florida PGA section. ( This is Annika Academy houses ) participate in special events Orlando Reunion Resort owners and future projects. Press conferences at the reunion today, it even 6/3/2013 is the headquarters relocation resort announces North Florida PGA section.
"North Florida PGA section and so eager to promote and teach the game's for the 1500 works, excited to enhance the relationship between the expert and I" said Sorenstam, an Orlando-area residents. "I've been growing from the base of my game Annika Academy since the day of my playing. Reunion Resort game and this section now more heights to develop new paths present. ?
In recent years, appeared in the whole region, including Tampa and Orlando, on behalf of Golfest event section some Sorenstam North Florida PGA. Drawing up plans share a common interest, currently promoting junior golf development, diversity and women's golfing future efforts to improve the growth section and Sorenstam a reinforcement game.
Said PGA President Ted Bishop "delighted to welcome Annika Sorenstam U.S. PGA PGA Member ranks". "North Florida PGA section and give Annika commitment, are evident in the game develop and foster strong working relationships, she can be very. Annika really is a trend setter and one of golf's great ambassadors. "
"Annika Sorenstam Golf, of! is such an iconic figure, rich Smith Executive Director & CEO North Florida PGA section. "Excited about the opportunity we need to work growing Annika she is member of the PGA of America and North Florida PGA section and our game and proud"
Exempt professional Champions Tour playing PGA Constitution & by-laws, currently, under PGA, LPGA. The winners of the major championships in the past. National team events such as the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup participants are eligible to become members of the PGA.
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said about Sorenstam to carry members of the two organizations selected. "LPGA Annika her decision also celebrate becoming a PGA member. He enjoys continuing her we continue to expand coverage of the PGA of America double member of LPGA Golf Game her long-term commitment.
She was LPGA Rookie of the year voted her in 1994 and since Sorenstam LPGA member and native of Sweden participated in the tour. She 2003 colonial babe zaharias golfer first woman to appear in a PGA Tour event since 1945, when during her career, she was 89 has earned world events and history. Think's all-time greatest female golfers with Sorenstam game from pursuing family, also expanded her business and charitable interests resigned in 2008.
About the PGA of America
PGA of America maintains two missions since its inception in 1916: establish and enhance the professional standards of order, expand the participation in the game of golf and interest. Established a golf professional to enable its experts to maximize performance in the PGA, marketing research program to enhance the career service standards of global education through career paths and then showcase those professional golf industry-wide game of 1 billion dollars. Promoted lust creates to provide innovative programs and World Championships and play more golf games, PGA of America public interest, anywhere, guaranteed accessibility to the game for everyone. PGA is established 100 anniversary approached, PGA brand represents the best of golf.
About Annika Sorenstam
Sport becoming her prominent mainstream player, and as a professional golf legend Annika beyond her 15 years. Throughout her storied career she-89 worldwide events (72) LPGA tour, 10 major championships, eight Rolex player brought rewrote this year's award winning-LPGA and ladies European tour record books, women's golf to unprecedented interest. Look of women's golf, covered and changed her career, she continues to have positive impacts in all women's sports.
About Annika Academy
It opened in 2007 as a way to share the passion of the Annika Golf, fitness, nutrition, she coaches individuals with near State of the art boutique golf school reunion resort Orlando, FL Annika Academy (www.theannikaacademy.com). More energy through simple techniques all players their age, gender, skill level and can reach their potential by transferring power from course, Jim. Is the offer Academy certified Callaway performance Center fittings custom clubs, video swing analysis two shot booth spacious. Conditioned, academies and individual golf instruction provides modern fitness facilities, conference rooms and a full-service locker room, personalized fitness and nutrition programs, and custom corporate packages. Annika playing is what she learns the establishment and successful approach is a world-renowned team of her instructor.
Price: $ 45
Tomorrow, June 14th is the Army Birthday and its founding, and just one day later it was announced that George Washington was appointed as Commander In Chief in 1775. On June 16th comes the Adjutant General's Corps B-Day, Corps of Engineers Birthday, Finance Corps Birthday, and the Quartermaster Corps Birthday.
The US Army is rich with honor and tradition and these many birthdays signal in the importance of how each of these many branches participate as an integral part of the Army and helps it while it carries out its duties of protecting and defending the people of the United States.
Vision-Strike-Wear.Com for many years has been honored to have worked with these many branches and the many military units found within creating and printing a variety of vibrant shirts, apparel and gift items like custom military decals, plaques, posters and more. Each design has been carefully laid out in collaboration with each unit and through that teamwork has produced some amazing designs worn on the backs of our military men and women serving in the United States Army.
Custom military unit designs is the focus of Vision-Strike-Wear.Com and delivery some of the most detailed and vibrantly colored unit art is what they specialize in. Below are several reasons why the units within the US Army have turned to Vision-Strike-Wear.Com at (http://www.vision-strike-wear.com) for their military graphics and printing.
This is how military design is done. Creativity meets technology meets the military! For more information regarding Vision-Strike-Wear.Com check them and send in your quote information to out at (http://www.vision-strike-wear.com/custom-apparel-quote.html)
For units interested in having their custom design created by VSW check out a few reasons for considering them:
• Fully custom shirts that can be ordered one at a time. No minimums
• Fully custom text, left chest logos, sleeve art for upper, lower or full length sleeves
• Battle Rattle real-time graphics. Watch as your graphic is updated with your military selections from rifles, gear, names and other custom icons making it a unique item!
• One of the largest venues for military designs with over 1000+ exclusively designed and printed Vision-Strike-Wear.Com designs for you!
• On-line customer service portal for real-time answers to your questions
• Quick turnarounds and highly responsive customer service
• 100% Marine owned
• Products that are designed and made, printed in the USA!
• Catering to all branches of the United States Military
• Work directly with the art team that designs directly for the US military men and women in uniform
• Specials and Promotions that make a Shrapnel Eating Velociraptor scream in envy!
• Custom sizes, custom colors, custom options, custom graphics, custom apparel and more!
• Exclusive and original content military designs and apparel.
• Large variety of military gift items!
• Multiple shirt color and size options!
This month, June 2013, is PTSS Awareness Month (not PTSD which defines this as a disorder which it is not). Vision-Strike-Wear.Com has paired up with many important military non-profits over the years but none that are as important as the work that Vitalwarrior.Org (http://www.vitalwarrior.org) does when it comes to helping our returning men and women in uniform develop skills sets for combating these maladies. This week help donate to this incredible cause and help our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardsmen to receive these much needed tools for dealing with PTSS.
Little TikesTotSports Golf Set
Budding golfers can now start really early with their Little TikesTotSports Golf Set. The clubs of this set are sized just right for toddlers. There are oversized balls to make it easy for kids to hit with confidence. This set is ideal to introduce kids to this competitive game and generate an early interest.
Age: 2 to 6 years
Features
Price: $26.99
Key pieces from the new collection include full length Workout Pants, Panel Crop Top, Dee Neck Tee and Zip Jacket. The Workout Pants are available in either colour blocks or with contrasting panels featuring an elasticated waistband with stretch fit to allow for total freedom of movement. The Panelled Crop Top features removable padded bra cups and cross over shoulder straps to provide plenty of support. Both pieces can be styled with the Dee Neck Tee which benefits from a breathable mesh panel on the chest and a cut out back to keep you cool during workouts. Finish the whole look with the Zip Jacket which, as well as being extremely flattering, has the advantages of chin guard, thumb loops and mesh panels under the arms.
Price: $50.00
In champion Roger Chapman KitchenAid May 23-26, Bellerive Country _ at Club St. Louis, Missouri presented 74 rose returning Senior PGA Championship defending UK champion to capture 10 two senior major title heads past one year from obscurity.
54 Would be 5/1, Chapman was a U.S. senior open - Michigan in 2012 to add finished KitchenAid hosted Senior PGA Championship victory style victory drought less than two months after. They were his first professional victory since 2000.
"Must be something air" visited the State of Michigan for Chapman joked. "Has been the feeling to say I won the Senior PGA Championship it is remarkable. It was the best feeling in the world. I also to go and to prove I was not as long as those one time no. could win 2 major wish. "
Famous Bellerive Country Club to join the Senior PGA Champions past Chapman next month is: Michael Allen (2009); Jay Haas ( 2006, ' 08), Hale Irwin (1996, 97, 98, 2004 ), John Jacobs (2003), Tom Lehman (2010) Tom wargo, Mike Reid (2005) ( original (1993), Denis Watson (2007), Tom Watson (2001, 1 l).
156 13 Field players in senior Golf represents a historical event. 4/19 Is the final entry in the Championship.
Currently 23 in areas of past major champions: Mark Brooks, mark Calcavecchia, Steve Elkington, Irwin, Marc Jacobs, Steve Jones, Tom kite, Bernhard Langer, Lehman, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Andy North, Mark O'Meara, Nick price and Scott Simpson, Jeff Sluman, Craig Stadler, Curtis strange, Hal Sutton, ??????, Dennis Watson, Tom Watson and Ian Woosnam.
Presented Senior PGA Championship is caused by Augusta National Golf Club, the legendary amateur Bobby Jones invited 1937 at the oldest events senior Golf by KitchenAid. KitchenAid thereby featured 12-hour golf channel live TV on ESPN2 and viewership over the present Senior PGA Championship 130 countries and regions all over the world. By KitchenAid 74 presented to Senior PGA Championship tickets are available at SPGA2013.com.
Among the world-class field present senior 35 PGA Club professionals, including members of the contingent PGA professional national champion Jim Woodward Edmond, Oklahoma State 5 30 won the berth Southworth Senior PGA professional championship Aldie, Virginia, in October last year.
About the PGA of America
PGA of America maintains two missions since its inception in 1916: establish and enhance the professional standards of order, expand the participation in the game of golf and interest. Established a golf professional to enable its experts to maximize performance in the PGA, marketing research program to enhance the career service standards of global education through career paths and then showcase those professional golf industry-wide game of 1 billion dollars. Promoted lust creates to provide innovative programs and World Championships and play more golf games, PGA of America public interest, anywhere, guaranteed accessibility to the game for everyone. PGA is established 100 anniversary approached, PGA brand represents the best of golf.
Price: $14.95
The design created for them represents a naval character, a fierce alligator representing the amphibious nature of this powerful warship with strong limbs, a First Class Crow and topping it off a cob pipe. The crow is symbolic of the rank of the 1st Classes and suggests the power and responsibility this rank has as an integral part of the US Navy rank structure.
A Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, the 1814 defense of which inspired The Star-Spangled Banner.
USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) was laid down on 10 June 1983 by Lockheed Shipbuilding in Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 1 February 1986 (sponsored by The Honorable Helen D. Bentley), and commissioned on 8 August 1987 in Seattle, Commander George S. "Dusty" Rhodes in command.
Found at http://www.vision-strike-wear.com/USS-Fort-McHenry-LSD-43... the custom deign created for the USS Fort McHenry is one example of the type of custom design done for our beloved US Navy!
Like the many designs created for the US Navy and the naval tees for its sailors, Vision-Strike-Wear.Com firm goal is to provide the finest custom military unit designs for military shirts and apparel.
Price: $9.95
"Beyond the Green," a look at how golf and PGA Professionals have nurtured future leaders and transformed lives, will be presented in a series of documentary-style profiles by CBS Sports, Sunday, May 5, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The hour-long special features the ambitious drive of youths and adults to overcome family struggles, illness and injury and discover golf's healing powers and a path to a happier life.
"Beyond the Green," produced by The PGA of America and narrated by CBS Sports commentator Bill Macatee, precedes coverage of the Wells Fargo Championship.
"Beyond the Green" spends the opening 30 minutes chronicles stories of "Building Future Leaders":
• Houston's United Team – A showcase of the values of the PGA Junior League takes viewers to Houston, Texas, with profiles of juniors Kenlie Barrett and Nick Pursell; their coach, PGA/LPGA Professional Aurora Kirchner-McLain and the inspiration applied by apprentice professional Zach Winkler, who lost an arm in an automobile accident.
• The Journei Daniels Story – From Flint, Mich., 9-year-old Boys & Girls Club member Journei Daniels is the product of a single-parent home, encountering many issues interacting with others. Through the mentoring of PGA Professional Joe Simpson and the golf instruction she has received, Daniels has overcome the social and emotional challenges she previously faced.
• A New Member of the Family – A heartwarming success story of Lester Bell of Dallas, Texas, who attempted to make sense of living in poverty and unsafe conditions at home. At age 13, Bell would discover a love for golf, but more importantly a bond with Ira McGraw Jr., the PGA general manager and director of golf at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas. Now 18, and captain of his high school golf team, Bell has found peace at home. McGraw and his wife, Yesenia, are his legal guardians.
• Heart of a Lion – Meet John Paul George of Juno Beach, Fla., the son of Champions Tour coach/caddie Derek George, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome – that is one-half of a developed heart. Inspired by his infant son's fight for life, overcoming multiple surgeries and complications, Derek George wrote "Heart of a Lion" in 2010. Today, John Paul will soon celebrate his 19th birthday, and enjoys playing golf daily with his father.
• A Wave Carried Him Back to Shore – PGA teaching professional Will Robins of Citrus Heights, Calif., and his bride, Amanda, were on their honeymoon Dec. 26, 2004, when they were swept out to sea by a tsunami generated by the Sumatra earthquake. The tsunami resulted in the deaths of 238,000 in Southeast Asia, including more than 3,000 on Ko Phi Phi Don, the island where the Robins were vacationing. Robins outlines how he dedicated his career to those that did not survive the tragedy, and developed a remarkably successful golf instruction program.
• Golf's Healing Powers – Turner Fordham was stricken with leukemia at age 12, and turned to golf as a therapeutic activity. The non-contact sport served as her escape from the endless treatments and hospital visits. Fordham capped her prep career in Georgia as a member of the girls' public Class 4A high school state champion golf team. In remission for several years, Turner's leukemia returned in 2012. She is undergoing regular chemotherapy treatments. Fordham shares how golf, along with Georgia PGA Hall of Famer Lowell Fritz, helped inspire her ongoing recovery.
• From the Battlefield to the Tee – Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Lang of Ann Arbor, Mich., lost a leg as a result of serving in Iraq in 2006. Today, he is an ambassador for the Salute Military Golf Association, co-founded by PGA Professional Jim Estes of Olney, Md. Lang is inspiring countless others through the game that helped him heal. An outstanding prep athlete prior to his military service, Lang endured 48 surgeries, including 28 before losing his leg below the right knee. Lang has become an accomplished golfer, and was honorary captain for the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team. He is completing a degree in criminology at Eastern Michigan University.
• Get Golf Ready Spells Success – PGA Professional Ed Ibarguen, the general manager and director of golf at Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., ignites the passion in students through Get Golf Ready, the industry's nationally branded program to bring new golfers to the game and attract those who have left the sport. Businessman Bryan Lach, a lapsed golfer, resurrects his love for the game and shares how staying on the course helped close a business deal. Laurie Hyland, an employee of Duke University, shares how not learning the game left her out of family activities, but now joins her husband – an avid golfer – on the golf course.
About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
Price: $14.99
With this recent and exciting news Vision-Strike-Wear.Com (http://www.vision-strike-wear.com) will be able to release some exciting US Navy approved designs for this incredible branch of the US Military. Designs for the CPOA, FCPOA, JEA, ships, aviation units and crews, Naval Air Stations, and deployed units as well as those stationed at home.
Vision-Strike-Wear.Com (http://www.vision-strike-wear.com) has been designing custom military art for a variety of items from apparel, military gifts, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank-tops, sleeveless shirts, coast, jackets, ballcaps, decals, stickers, coffee mugs, steins, plaques, posters, smartphone cases, challenge coins, and military patches. New and exciting items are introduced regularly to continue with vision-Strike-Wear.Com and its mission of providing a wide selection of military gift items for all branches of the United States Military.
In addition to the exciting range of products is Vision-Strike-Wear.Com commitment to providing custom designs for military units, ships, squadrons, associations to include CPOAs’, FCPOAs, JEAs and much more. Vision-strike-Wear.Com has been at the forefront of custom unit military design and it has been their honor to serve each of its customers over the years as well as working with the new and exciting designs and ideas our modern military sends them when in need of a custom military graphic.
Many of these designs can also be found designed in real-time during a recent D-Day design day. These D-Day design days feature lead military artist of Vision-Strike-Wear.Com, Frost Call, where he illustrates live on the VSW Youtube page found at http://www.youtube.com/user/VisionStrikeWear where you will also find Vision-Strike-Wear.Com's weekly episodes of “Ask The Chief” featuring Chief Mikal Vega, now retired of the United States Navy and its elite special forces teams, The United States Navy SEALS. A 22 year Navy veteran and founder of the non-profit organization Vital Warrior (http://www.vitalwarrior.org) with its specific goals of providing tools and information for assisting our men and women in uniform dealing with PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).
Price: $19.95
Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Grace O’Malley are the historical female pirates famous in the western world. They were born in renaissance age, and they equally participated in all aspects of piracy including combats. The pirate shirts and blouses in their styles are becoming more and more popular with the passage of time. Their styles of dresses are available in dark as well as light shades. In addition, the striped designs are getting widely popular.
In the fictional raiders, we can take the name of Angelica of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”. Moreover, some special female costumes are designed in the styles of Captain Jack Sparrow – the protagonist of “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.
The outfits of all the above mentioned female swashbucklers are being offered today by a number of online stores. http://www.tudordressing.com is one of the major stores, wherefrom the fashion lover women can buy these outfits. On this website, a wide variety of costumes of the medieval and renaissance age can be obtained. Moreover, it also offers the steampunk and gothic dresses.
Price: $19.99
Is nonsense to say that Phil Mickelson jumped in celebration when took the initiative, on Sunday afternoon at the United States Open. It is silly because at age 43 and never mistaken for a triathlete's zero body fat, Mickelson not diving. It made valiant attempts to raise, if not actually defy gravity, as we saw when he won his first Masters. These attempts to end a microsecond after start. It can delete a credit card, provided the card is placed lying down.
Still, it's fun to see. With a wedge in his hand, the man is a circus. His shot at the hole 10 of t was rough, 75 metres from the wicker basket. By then, after two double-bogeys on the front, Mickelson had given to top of head to the young Brit, Justin Rose, last seen in the company of Mickelson in the Ryder Cup last fall, winning his party's critical singles with three straight putts, one after another to the heart, dagger each delivered so elegant that Mickelson had to smile. It became even a thumbs-up in appreciation for the art of killing.
Nothing had worked Mickelson this Sunday. Every putt that have caught an edge and fallen in love with, not. Then put on the top of the gap wedge shot 10. Came to Earth perhaps 12 feet from the basket and rolled toward the hole - and Mickelson raised on their toes to see what was going on - and it does not blink - and once your eyes wide open - and when the ball rolled into the Cup, dead center, Mickelson made theirs almost jump. He managed to raise both arms in triumph Atletico.
Suddenly, with eight holes to play, he led the U.S. Open by a shot. It was Sam Snead of his time, a multiple main champion unable to win the biggest tournament of all. He finished second in the open five times. No other man had ever done that. Think about it. To finish in second place, once is good, better twice, three times a feat. But to come so close and yet so far four times seem unfair, and when a man passes five times, will surely feel the pain defined by Saint Bobby Jones when he wrote, "we are all stubborn victims of inexorable fate".
So, surely, it would be time for Mickelson. Sunday was his birthday. It was father's day, and that the father could have done something more paternal than staying at home, in California, for graduation from eighth grade of his 13-year-old daughter and then fly overnight to make his first round tee time on 7:11? More important, he was playing well. Not really but not very awake sleepwalking, Alternatively, opened with a 67, which turned out to be as good a round as no one had all week. In addition, loved the grand, old Merion Golf Club for this course. It was a masterpiece of golf course architecture, a test of the mind, as well as skill.
Beginning of the week, felt confident enough to speak about his open history. You may remember he pulled one of opens, at winged foot, with successive little desirable hits the hole 72. That time, he said, "I am such an idiot."
Mickelson wings on this day lead lasted just minutes. Playing two groups head, Rose rolled in a 12 to 20 foot to draw even and another at the 13th to go ahead. From the tee 13, in a pit playing 115 yards, the last true hole birdie of the round, Mickelson flew a pitching wedge too far. The ball fell into the deep rough right of the green. He could not get it up and down. Down two shots now, reached five East course's toughest holes, needing a birdie or two, to catch rose. By then, inexorable fate had taken its decision: no, Phil.
Putts were out again. "The race felt fabulous throughout the day, from the first hole," he said. "I can't believe that ball not to go." Second hole, hit a good putt. It was really rough around that hole there. I came into a good putt for eagle at 4. Hit a good putt on 6. I thought I did. I thought that I did one 8. Thinking that I made one 9, man. One in 11 wasn't great, but I thought I had a chance in 12. "Certainly 16, I thought I did".
Yet, Phil.
Related: Mickelson close of failure in the U.S. Open
Not in Pinehurst, not on Bethpage Black, not in Shinnecock, not at winged foot, in Bethpage, New York a second time.
Not in Merion, either and this time it hurt more than any other.
"Quite possibly, yes", said. "I think this was my best chance." He played well, he loved the place. "It is probably the most difficult for me because at 43 and coming so close five times, would have changed what I hope this tournament together and form would have looked at my record".
A curious say that it would have changed it looked to his record, and explained it.
"If I never out in the open air", said, "then I look back and I think, whenever I think of the US Open, I think that Heartbreak".
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ARDMORE, PA-Pandemonium broke out when Phil Mickelson hit his approach shot on 18 to Merion. The Green and white strings-which could have stone walls during the week were distributed once Phil approached the final green with a last chance to force a playoff with Justin Rose. The fans who had followed the final group, Mickelson/Hunter Mahan soon realized there was a good way to get back from the 15th green to 18 to see if Phil could pull off any heroics.
They were repulsed in each angle of attack to try to get a sight of Phil. Until the masses understand it, who were the masses. Literally amid shouts of "they can't stop 25,000 of us, fans rushed to Mickelson. It was a modern-day battle of Jericho, sans the trumpets. How to meet the fans must have felt to trample their striped green and white shirt kidnappers?
USGA staff members out-manned attempted to quell the onslaught of people who had been literally on the outside trying last week. It wasn't happening. The group pressed forward until the police arrived. Using force to keep the crowd at Bay, the fans eventually created a gallery full circle shaped around Mickelson to watch him hit his pitch shot.
The trees were immediately filled to the brim with viewers. One tried to shove his way through the crowd saying he was the father of Phil Mickelson despite reminding everyone that it was father's day. That does not fly.
About 40 yards away, on the back of the Green, Tere McBreen, Steve Varisano and Angelo Varisano stood in the front row of an elevated grandstand watching circus developing in front of them.
Waiting at the same point from 7:30 to 19:30 had paid.
Tere, 50 and Steve, 31, were unknown when they arrived for the Green Forum 18 at 7:30 Sunday morning. Twelve hours later, they adopted each other as members of the family. Their only link in which they live; Tere lives in nearby Malvern and Steve moved to Westchester after growing up in the neighboring Bryn Mawr. That and both were rooting for Phil to be to lift the trophy in front of them.
Varisano was here with the Royal family as well. Steve brought his father, Angelo, the course for the tour on Sunday as part of his dad. And what a gift turned out to be. Right off the back of the final green, Steve and Angel were in the front row in the place closest to the pin, which eventually decided the winner of the tournament.
"He's in love," says Steve of his father. "He is having a blast."
"Is a great place to be the father of Day," said Angel, who was going to start to see the pin placements. "I've got my son here with me, and I couldn't ask for a better place".
The place was in high demand throughout the day. The leaders had not even started their final round, but there was a long queue waiting for a chance to enter the stands where you can also see tee shots on 1 and 14 holes, players high-five after their shifts and snag a game used glove and ball. Chet Marshall, the aptly named Marshal in charge of this forum, said it had been filled to the brim by 11 Sunday morning-well before any golfer was set to play that hole.
"We all would take turns leaving," Gerald said. "That's how we got to know each other. These guys even bought my lunch. "
"We have formed an Alliance," said Steve, who saw a memorable final in his first live tournament.
When asked if he played golf or is it just a fan, Tere replied for him-as if they have known each other for years.
"He is fantastic," he said. "Tell him!"
Steve was not imminent, with his score from a round on Friday afternoon, but after urging from Tere, he says that he finished with a 78.
"Steve is not fantastic?" said Tere, who admitted to not being able to break 100 itself.
Here, all called each other by their first name. Here, all offered to bring any concessions were necessary when they made a snack run. Here, all have helped the marshals advice when bands were coming up the fairway.
"Tere, we should sing ' Happy Birthday ' to Phil when he walks," said Steve.
"Oh, we totally should!" Tere replied. "We can get all our group to do so".
Just like a family.
Maybe Philadelphia is really the city of brotherly love?
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ARDMORE, PA-Justin Rose won the 113° US Open on a wild Sunday who had four players short of the lead on the final stretch difficult holes at Merion Golf Club. Rose won after pars on the final two holes. The victory was the first major championship of roses. English 32 years had won four times on the PGA Tour before this week. Her best previous finish at a major was third at last year's PGA Championship, but his performance more popular was when he finished fourth as an amateur 17-year-old at the 1998 British Open.
The day began with Mickelson at 1-holding a one-shot lead over Hunter Mahan; Rose was two strokes behind Mickelson, and Jason Day was back to three strokes. Mickelson traded places in the standings for most of the day, with Mahan and day close behind. Mahan and day dropped back with more final six holes each bogeymen. Mickelson was one shot back on hole 18, but missed a long birdie chip give Roses.
Before the tournament, many predicted that it would not be able to withstand the onslaught of today's professionals hit along the relatively short course of Merion. The open was not played to its historic course of suburban Philadelphia since 1981. However, Merion has proven to be a hard test for professionals who struggled with the rough thick and difficult to read greens on the course, and neither player finished under par Rose was 1-over for the tournament after shooting for Sunday. Mickelson shot 74.
One for players to fight in Merion was made favorite Tiger Woods, who finished at 13-over. "I struggled with the speed, especially right around the hole," said Woods. "Putts were breaking a lot more, I gave a little bit more break and then would hang. That's kind of the way it was this week. "
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The question is simple: Who wins on Sunday, and who gets their heart broken?
Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Let's face it, Phil is the people's choice and the sentimental favorite. He showed me a lot by coming back from a lousy front nine and hitting some terrific shots on the back to regain the lead. Though I feel somewhat like a fooled-again-Cubs-fan by saying this, this one might finally be Phil's. The heartbreak will be saved for Schwartzel and Donald and maybe Mahan, and it looks like it's going to come on the final two holes, which kicked an enormous amount of rear ends in the third round.
Alan Bastable, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Winner: I'll take the only guy among the leaders who already has a major title but not the scar tissue from five runner-up finishes at the Open: Charl Schwartzel. Phil, Luke, Stricker, Mahan, and Rose all want (or need) it too badly, and come late Sunday, desire can hurt more than help. Heartbroken: Like I have to answer that.
Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf.com: The best putter, Steve Stricker, wins the U.S. Open on Sunday. Phil Mickelson breaks our hearts once again, but it's softened by Stricker's historic victory.
Jessica Marksbury, assistant editor, Golf Magazine: I know it's not very original at this point, but my vote is for Phil! After five heartbreaking misses at the U.S. Open, this has been his tournament since the very first round. And the storyline just doesn't get any better on Sunday: it's his birthday, Father's Day, and he has the chance to finally achieve the elusive title that he so desperately desires. His first round could have been deemed a fluke of red-eye adrenaline, but his second and third showcased the grit, patience and the determination we have come to expect from a Hall of Famer. I sure hope he gets it done, in dramatic fashion!
Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf.com: Well, on Wednesday I picked Rose and Stricker to finish 1-2, so I can't run away from it now. Rose entered the week leading the Tour in total driving -- a big reason I picked him -- and that will serve him well on Sunday. Plus, he's due to finally take home his first major. And obviously, anything short of victory would be crushing for Phil. Can you imagine Rose taking him down again in a callback to last year's epic Ryder Cup singles match? Ouch.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I think Phil wins. He keeps saying after every round that he played better than he scored. He also keeps bouncing back just when you think he'll fade away, and so I think he really believes he can bounce back Sunday, too, when he gets the odd bad break, as seems inevitable. I think Rose hangs around until the very end and Phil beats him at the end, reversing the result of their Ryder Cup singles match last fall.
Coleman McDowell, contributor, SI Golf+: Winner: Rickie Fowler. He trails Mickelson by four shots, which means nothing at a course like Merion where fortunes change in an instant. He only has one Tour win, but that didn't stop Rory McIlroy at Congressional in 2011 or Webb Simpson in 2012. On the week, Fowler is fifth in greens in regulation (40 of 54) and fourth in birdies (11). And the past four U.S. Open champs were under 30. Fowler definitely fits that category. Heartbreak: Phil Mickelson. He will inevitably have the lead of the Open heading into the final hole, you can just feel it. And as picture-perfect as a win on Father's Day would be, it won't happen. Phil wants this tournament more than ever, and it's right in his grasp. But the tee shot on 18 here at Merion is the most daunting of any on the course. And it doesn't get easier from there. Phil won't be able to handle it and will be fitted for a bridesmaids dress once again.
Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Winner: Phil Mickelson. This course has captured Mickelson's imagination the way Augusta National does, with similar results. The heartbreak: Hunter Mahan. Merion will put too much pressure on his short game to keep up with Mickelson and Donald.
Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: Those tears 2013 U.S. Open champion Steve Stricker sheds will also be for the heartbreak he feels for Phil Mickelson, who will finish second at a U.S. Open for a record sixth time. Nobody has played better golf through the first 54 holes than Phil, and that's why I think he won't win. Considering the way he has played from tee to green as well as the number of quality putts he's rolled that could have dropped, Mickelson could easily be four or five shots clear of the field. That's going to come back and bite him tomorrow. That said, I hope I'm wrong.
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"Every time I think outside of United States," Phil Mickelson said, "I think of heartbreak." And your B.S. alarm went off, because the real heartbreak is a consequence of mourning, unrequited love or scandal. Finishing second in the US Open for the sixth time, as Mickelson did Sunday, the better it is categorized as a "disappointment".
But the sport is different from the life. In sports, arsenal champions and also-rans depressed, but second place gets roasted on the grill of public accountability. Ask the coach of each team that lost the championship game. Ask the quarterback of Super Bowl loser. Ask LeBron James.
We have a winner-take-all. Not literally-Mickelson collected about $ 700,000 for her heartbreak at Merion-but certainly atavistic level. How else to explain the despair by Tom Watson on his missed putt on the 72nd hole at Turnberry in 2009? If his putt rolls true, Watson 59-year-old won a record-tying sixth British Open and merges the gods on Mount Olympus. If it wobbles off to the left, he's just a pathetic old man who almost did something great.
Too hard? For sure. But that is how it seemed the self reproaching Watson, namely as it looked to Mickelson Sunday evening, when the wound is still fresh. "This is probably the toughest for me," he said, "because at 43 and coming so close five times, would change the look at the tournament as a whole and the way he looked at my records."
But that is the source of heartbreak by Mickelson-the way of looking at records. This year's champion, Justin Rose, has two top 10s in the u.s. Open, but has missed the cut in half of his open appearances and also failed to qualify seven times since he turned Pro in 1998. Mickelson, on the other hand, was low amateur in his first two attempts (1990 and 91), was cut only twice (1992, 2007) and has racked up 11 top-10s in 22 US Open starts.* too bad lead on goals from year to year; Mickelson could win the Decade.
* Tiger Woods, if you were wondering, he "only" eight top-10s in the U.s. Open, and finished 10 shots behind Mickelson on Sunday. But Woods has three victories.
As it is, there is an argument to be made for Lefty as the best US Open player of his generation. "I love the way he plays the game," Rose said after his victory. "He plays golf without fear. He keeps everyone guessing. He is funny. And I feel lucky to be able to beat a world-class player like a day like today ". Mike Davis, the USGA's feelings echo Squad, saying: "Phil has been fantastic, and to be a racer, six times the National Open Championship, is not only a record, but it"
And that is where he left Davis. Mickelson, if asked to finish the thought, might have said, "but it's empty." But Phil was already on his way home, his birthday and father's day spoiled because he had failed, but once again, to win the title he covets more than any other: US Open champion.
Heartbreaking? Yes, maybe.
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Tiger Woods will play the final round on Sunday, but his chance to win this U.S. Open ended at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon on the par-4 12th hole. Woods pulled his tee shot left into a mound of thick clumpy rough, punched out to the fairway, then hit a pitch shot to the front of the green about 20 feet from the hole. He got the line right with his putt, but his ball stopped an inch short. He tapped in with one arm for bogey and a 7-over total, his Open effectively finished.
"I didn't make anything today," Woods said after he finished his round of 76 at 9-over for the tournament. "I just couldn't get a feel for them, some putts were slow, some were fast and I had a tough time getting my speed right." Paired with fellow million-dollar Nike pitchman Rory McIlroy for the third-straight day, Woods entered the day within four shots of the lead and started hot with a birdie on the first hole. That would be his only birdie of the day. Woods took 36 putts on Saturday and while he hit a lot of greens, he didn't give himself many great looks at birdie.
"If you leave yourself in the correct spots, you can be pretty aggressive with some putts and they're not that fast uphill into the grain," Woods said. "So if you put yourself in a correct spot you can really take a pretty good run at it and be aggressive, but if you put the ball in the wrong spots, yeah, it's tough to make putts." Woods was in those wrong spots most of the day. McIlroy fared about the same, shooting 75 that ended his hopes of another U.S. Open win as well. McIlroy is at 8-over. His game just wasn't up to the test Merion presented, McIlroy said.
"If you're not on your game 100 percent, you get on the wrong side of greens and it's just frightening because I didn't feel like I played too badly," McIlroy said. "I missed a few shots here and there and I was trying on every shot out there and I was trying to get myself back into it, but it's tough."
That was the right word to describe his and Woods' round. They still thrilled the Merion crowds who seemed to adopt McIlroy in the same way Woods has. The "Rory! Rory!" chants followed the group wherever they went. But Woods and McIlroy just couldn't make the charges that everyone was hoping for. It was left to Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño --- replacing Adam Scott as the third wheel of the star grouping -- to provide most of the cheers Saturday, including a chip in for birdie from behind the 17th green that earned a fist-bump from Woods. Castano shot 72 on Saturday and finished at 5-over, and if not for a double-bogey on 11, Castano and his upturned collar would be right in the thick of this Open.
Lindsey Vonn, dressed casually in a purple T-shirt and black shorts, joined Woods' entourage as he walked off 18 and headed to the makeshift interview area outside the scoring tent where a disappointed Woods gamely answered questions about his round. He agreed that the Merion course was as penal a U.S. Open setup as he's ever played. "Most definitely, because of the pins, I think," Woods said. "The long holes are playing really long and the short holes obviously are short, but the thing is that the pins out there, what they're giving us out there is really tough."
With four wins already in 2013 and playing on a course that looked to play to his strengths as a shot-maker and a putter, Woods was the clear favorite going into this tournament. Now five full years have passed since Woods won his last major at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. He talked on Saturday about missing yet another opportunity to win his 15th major.
"It certainly is frustrating," Woods said. "At Augusta I was pretty close and I had the lead at one point and I hit the flag and ended up in the water. This week I was clearing up the rounds and I'm one shot off the lead starting the last day without any three-putts. And I'm playing well enough to do it and unfortunately just haven't gotten it done."
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The USGA defines an amateur as someone "who plays golf for the challenge it presents, not as a profession and not for financial gain." Michael Kim, a 19-year-old rising junior at Cal, had to overcome a couple of those challenges in the two weeks leading up to the U.S. Open. Lose in the semifinals of the NCAA championships? No problem. Just go out and qualify for 113th U.S. Open the next day.
Arrive at the biggest tournament of your life without a caddie? Oh, well. Be lucky to get assigned LaRue Temple, a local who has walked Merion Golf Club thousands of times in his 16 years as a looper there. On Saturday, a day when the top two ranked players in the world -- Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy -- tumbled down the leaderboard, the 5'11", 150-pound Kim played his way into the top 10.
As he stood on the 15th green on Saturday, Kim was even par for the tournament and tied for third with Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose, only two shots out of the lead. With four birdies in his last six holes, he was the hottest player on the course. Kim, who moved to the U.S. from Korea when he was seven, gazed at the leaderboard next to the green. He smiled -- not because his name was up there, but at all the other ones.
"I just thought it was super cool to see my name on that big leaderboard next to the leaders like [Charl] Schwartzel, Mickelson, [Luke] Donald, all those guys. It was a cool feeling," said Kim, the Pac-12 golfer of the year and a first-team All-America.
But then Kim snap-hooked a three-wood off the 16th tee so far left that he joked the USGA didn't grow the rough there because they didn't think anyone would hit such an errant shot. He made bogey. He followed with a double-bogey at 17 and a bogey at 18. The four-over par finish dropped him into 10th place, five shots back of Mickelson.
"I didn't feel that nervous, but I definitely think I was looking back on it," said Kim, who shot a one-over-par 71 on a day when the course played to a stroke average of 74.36.
That Kim was even in the field was remarkable. His Golden Bears lost a heartbreaker to Illinois in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship on June 2 in Atlanta. The next day, he flew to Ohio to receive the Jack Nicklaus Award, given to the nation's top golfer. (Like Mickelson and Donald, Kim also won the Haskins Award, the top honor in college golf.) From there he flew back to Georgia for a U.S. Open sectional qualifier. With three spots up for grabs in the field of 51, he tied for medalist honors after shooting 67-66.
By Saturday at Merion, Kim had the attention of some of the world's best players. Defending Open champion Webb Simpson said it was remarkable to see an amateur perform at such a high level in the game's most grueling test. Paul Casey called Kim's run "phenomenal."
They saw what Kim's college coach, Steve Desimone, has witnessed so many times.
"He's the best putter in the country," Desimone told Golf.com. "That's one of the reasons I thought he'd be successful at Merion. From 140 yards and in, he's automatic. And he's not just hitting them inside 10 feet, sometimes it's only six inches."
Through the third round, Kim was proving his coach right. Midway through the final round, Kim was leading the field in par-4 birdies.
Desimone has been at Cal for 35 years, but this is arguably his best team yet. Michael Weaver, the 2012 U.S. Amateur runner-up, and Max Homa were also in the field at Merion. Weaver finished at 21 over after rounds of 74, 74, 78 and 75, while Homa missed the cut.
"You never know how they're going to handle a big stage like this," said Desimone, who flew to San Francisco on Saturday night to celebrate Father's Day with his 91-year-old dad. "There aren't many stages like this in sports. It's a big deal, and I think it's going to help them going forward."
Kim will try today to become the first amateur to finish in the top-5 since Jim Simons finished fifth in the '71 Open -- also held at Merion. An amateur hasn't won the tournament in 80 years. Johnny Goodman hoisted the trophy in '33, at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill.
It's all part of the challenge.
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties 'cause Phil Mickelson leads by one going into the final round of the U.S. Open. Throw back the covers, stagger into the bathroom, and look at yourself in the mirror. Those puffy eyes tell you anything? Before we go any further, do you believe in deja vu? Do you get the strange feeling that you’ve seen this Mickelson-finishes-second-at-the-Open episode before? Like, five times?
I ask because people got it so wrong on Friday when a groundhog darted across the sixth fairway as Mickelson was preparing to hit his approach. Thinking it was a gopher, folks tweeted and blogged their best Caddyshack quotes, invoking Bill Murray as the rodent-hunting assistant greenkeeper Carl Spackler. But it wasn’t a gopher, it was a groundhog, and the obvious antecedent was Groundhog Day, the movie in which Murray plays a soul-weary TV weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over again. (Murray’s character, if you’ve forgotten, was named Phil. And so was the groundhog.)
So here’s Phil, the Hall of Fame golfer, with 18 nasty holes at Merion East to negotiate on Sunday before he can add a U.S. Open title to his three Masters wins and lone PGA Championship triumph. And here’s you, the avid Mickelson fan, wondering if you should maybe catch an afternoon movie.
Because, really, can you handle another of your boy’s flameouts? Nothing hurt more than Winged Foot ’06, when Phil hit a hospitality tent and then a tree to spit up his one-stroke lead on the 72nd hole, but you won’t soon forget Pinehurst ’99 (edged by the radar putting of Payne Stewart), or Bethpage Black ’02 (outplayed by Tiger Woods at his peak), or Shinnecock Hills ’04 (overtaken by the scorched-earth putting of Retief Goosen), or Bethpage Black ’09 (pipped at the post by, of all people, Lucas Glover).
The question is: Does history have to repeat itself? Mickelson often beats himself by being insufficiently risk-averse, and that’s one of the reasons you love him. (As Rita says to Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, “I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind. It’s inspiring, in a way.”) But Mickelson, who will turn 43 on Sunday, has been a paragon of course management this week; he’s played more like the cautious Jack Nicklaus he was once hyped to resemble than the swashbuckling Arnold Palmer he turned out to be. Phil left his driver at home, for Pete’s sake -- a concession to Merion’s brutal rough and evidence that he knows his short game is the key to victory. Mickelson is the only player under par after three rounds, and he’s done it by not being “such an idiot,” as he described himself after his Winged Foot debacle.
But neither has he been a Merion wimp. Phil birdied the long and dangerous par-3 17th on Saturday with a flushed 4-iron that never left the, uh, wicker basket. “I just stood there and admired it,” he said after the round. “It was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit.” As for the possibility that his combined birthday and Father’s Day present might turn out to be another recycled page from his past -- well, let’s just say he wasn’t spooked by Friday’s groundhog sighting.
“I love being in the thick of it,” he said. “I’ve had opportunities in years past, and it has been so fun, even though it’s been heart-breaking to come so close a number of times and let it slide. But I feel better equipped than I have ever felt heading into the final round of a U.S. Open. My ball striking is better than it’s ever been, my putting is better ...”
Okay, campers, rise and shine -- No, no, no … no. Hit that snooze button, roll over, and don’t get up until Phil Mickelson is the Open champ.
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It’s always fun to watch the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In addition to seeing your favorite tour pros, you have the spectacular beauty of Pebble Beach – views I am fortunate to see every day as the PGA Head Professional at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Clubs on the Monterey Peninsula – and, of course, you have some great celebrities.
Who doesn’t enjoy seeing Bill Murray yuk it up with the crowd? And actors like Chris O’Donnell and Oliver Hudson have pretty good golf swings. There was Wayne Gretzky playing with Dustin Johnson and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson playing with Oscar-nominated actor Andy Garcia. It was great fun to watch.
Playing in it is another matter.
For the pros, the trick to having a successful week at Pebble Beach is to forget about the sideshows. There are going to be shanks and tops and two-foot putts that run 10 feet by the hole – shots that tour players don’t normally see beyond their Wednesday pre-tournament pro-ams. Plus, you have Ray Romano cracking jokes and Jim Harbaugh getting 49er cheers from the gallery, none of which happens week-in and week-out on tour.
In order for the pros to succeed, they have to tune out all the distractions and play their own games. It would be easy for them to watch the amateurs and subconsciously play down, perhaps not to their level but not to championship standards, either.
The amateurs face a different problem, but one that has a similar solution. They tend to become too self-conscious and nervous about their games, so they get out of their routines. Some of them slow down, taking two or three extra practice swings and discussing wind direction with their caddies, even though they might not get the shot in the air.
Others speed up in an attempt to get out of the way. They walk faster, swing faster and pick up their balls faster because they don’t want to disrupt their partners. Unfortunately, that usually leads to them playing worse than normal.
The amateurs would be better off if they enjoyed themselves between shots, but stuck to their normal routines when it’s time to play. The key to playing well through distractions is to stick to your game. If you normally take two practice swings and two waggles before every shot, don’t change just because you’re playing with a tour pro or a celebrity, or even your club champion.
Whether you’re on the cliffs of Pebble Beach or the first tee at your local club; whether you’re playing with Bill Murray, Brandt Snedeker or Bill and Bob from your regular foursome, you will play better if you stick to the same routine. Focus on playing your game no matter what the circumstances. If you do, you’ll enjoy the special places and people you encounter through golf a lot more. Patrick Jones is the PGA head golf professional at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Clubs in Seaside, Calif.
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Brandt Snedeker is taking medication he injects into his stomach every night trying to increase the bone mass in his troublesome ribs that kept him from playing competitive golf earlier this year for about a month. Snedeker said Wednesday he checked with PGA Tour officials once his doctor recommended the osteoporosis medication Forteo, which is approved for use.
''It's just a rare thing that I have,'' Snedeker said at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. ''It's just a weird thing I've got to deal with ... It's like taking an insulin shot and taking it every day. I have to travel with it. I've got to keep it refrigerated. It's probably the biggest pain of my life keeping it ... refrigerated all the time.'' Snedeker started the year by finishing second to Tiger Woods in San Diego and second to Phil Mickelson in Phoenix before winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February to reach his highest career ranking at No. 4 in the world. Then his ribs kept him out of golf for a month.
A different rib injury kept him out of the U.S. Open last year. So Snedeker went through a battery of tests, more than he ever wants to go through again, back home in Nashville. Now Snedeker is hoping the medication will help a condition that also has limited how much he has been able to practice over the past two years.
''It's hopefully long-term effects can regrow some of my bone, specifically in my rib cage where they're very, very brittle comparatively speaking to the rest of my bones,'' Snedeker said. ''So they feel like this can maybe increase my bone mass 20 to 30 percent, which would get me back to a normal level if I have success with it. So hopefully it will have the same effect on me.''
Traveling with the medication has been relatively easy. Snedeker said he uses freezer packs with the medicine in his luggage, and the packs last up to 11 hours. But he plans to play in the British Open in July and the lengthy trip poses a different challenge. ''We're working on that as we speak,'' Snedeker said. ''So that will be the first problem I see arising.'' Snedeker said he checked repeatedly with PGA Tour officials to make sure the medication was approved for use to avoid any complications.
''I'm getting ready to get tested here shortly too, so you'll have evidence here next week,'' Snedeker said. Snedeker currently ranks third on the money list and has dipped to No. 6 in the world. He missed the cut last week at Memorial, but he tied for eighth at The Players Championship in May and was tied for the lead after the third round of the Masters before tying for sixth. He has six top 10s this year and feels like he's back to playing well again as he preps here for the U.S. Open. ''I feel like I'm on top of this and it's going the right direction,'' Snedeker said. ''I really think these next couple weeks will be a good couple weeks for me.''
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David Frost never flinched in his showdown with new World Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples, even with his first major championship on the line and a late rain delay to ponder the stakes. Frost parred the final two holes on Sunday to hold on for a one-stroke victory over Couples on Sunday in the Regions Tradition, the South African's first major title in 17 attempts on the Champions Tour.
"We came in from the break and I said to myself, It's not going to be easy," Frost said. "Freddy's got nothing to lose. He's going to go out there and hit the shots and fire at the pins. I've just got to kind of accept it and be up to the challenge." Both birdied No. 16 after play resumed with the sun shining after a delay of 1 hour, 8 minutes for lightning in a round played at times in driving rain.
Couples and Frost both shot 4-under 68, and Frost finished at 16-under 272. It was Frost's second victory of the season and fifth career win on the 50-and-over tour. "We both played very hard today. I don't know who wanted it more, me or him," said Frost, who took over the points lead from Bernhard Langer. "He's just such a tough competitor. I didn't think I had it in me, all the good shots he hit out there. I just had to try to stay on top of him."
The two bumped fists coming up on 18 in what had ultimately turned into a two-man duel. "He played very well," Couples said. "I gave him pretty much everything I had. I hit some pretty good shots. I drove it pretty well. He was just better the whole day. He stayed one ahead and that's where we ended up." Also the Toshiba Classic winner in March in California, Frost hit his approach shot to 10 feet of the closing hole and two-putted to match Couples' par.
Couples had sent his approach into the bunker at right and his potential birdie putt went just to the left. "I said to myself, `If he makes his (putt), I'm just going to have to make mine.' I've been in this match play situation many times before and that's just how I try to envision what's going on," Couples said. "You can't help it if he's going to roll his putt in." The next round of heavy rain started within a couple of minutes of the end of the round, which opened in the morning with a two-tee start.
John Cook and Esteban Toledo finished three strokes back, while Michael Allen, Russ Cochran and Duffy Waldorf were 12 under. Cook closed with a 66 and Toledo had a 67. Couples was seeking a second straight win in a major. He sat out the Senior PGA Championship three weeks ago but won the Senior British Open in 2012. Frost had come close in a major before but this time managed to nurse his one-stroke lead through the final round. He lost to Tom Lehman in a three-way playoff at the 2010 Senior PGA Championship.
Frost's only bogey came on No. 14 while Couples got his 68 with six birdies and two bogeys. Couples, who had a 3-footer for birdie on No. 15, left the next hole with a grin after matching Frost's birdie. His expression turned to a wince when his second shot on No. 17 went far to the right, landing down a steep slope from the green next to the grandstands. He two-putted for his fourth straight par on the hole and couldn't make up that stroke.
"Really, the letdown, I hit a terrible shot on 17," Couples said. "I smoked it down there and I just tried a shot that maybe I'm not accustomed to. Under that kind of pressure, I think it was a mental blunder to not hit the green there and not make birdie." Cook had beaten Frost in a playoff at the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii, and made a final-round run at Shoal Creek.
Cook birdied five of the first eight holes and finished his round with a 66 a couple of minutes before the weather delay. "We were running all day trying to outrun it," Cook said. "I guess this is the very definition of scattered thunderstorms. They were all over the place." Langer closed with a 63 to tie the course record with Gary Player from the 1984 PGA Championship. Langer had 10 birdies and finished at 10 under. "If I had made some putts earlier in the week," he said, "it would have been pretty nice." Two-time defending champion Lehman tied for 22nd at 6 under in his quest for a record three-peat.
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After holding a three-stroke lead overnight, Luiten shot a 71 in the final round to finish at 17-under-par 271 on the Diamond Country Club course. LYONESS OPEN PGA Tour leaderboardGolf on TVWhat's in the winners' bagsWeek's worth of equipment tweetsWho's winning driver derby?Who's winning putter derby?Photos: Top 10 equipment shotsPhotos: Golf around the worldThursday recapFriday recapSaturday recapSunday recap
''It's a great feeling, it's been a great week,'' said Luiten, whose previous win came at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia in November 2011, two months after finishing third here in Atzenbrugg. The victory was Luiten's third European Tour top-10 finish of the season and 20th overall. The win will move him up from 137th to just inside the top 100 of the world rankings.
Thomas Bjorn of Denmark (68) finished second at 15 under, while Liang Wen-chong of China (66) and Romain Wattel of France (69) shared third, another stroke off the pace. Luiten bogeyed the first hole but led throughout the day. His closest challengers after the third round, Spaniards Jorge Campillo (72) and Eduardo de la Riva (73), failed to threaten. ''It was a long day. It started off with a bogey but I hit the ball nice,'' Luiten said. ''I made some mistakes on the greens, I didn't make a lot of putts. Luckily I made a birdie on the 16th, and it's always nice to finish with par and par.''
At the event two years ago, Luiten also led for most of the final round, but bogeyed the last hole and finished third, trailing winner Kenneth Ferrie of England by one stroke. This time, the Dutchman had a solid finish to his round to keep Bjorn, who followed up Saturday's 64 with a 68, at a distance. Before Luiten teed off on the 14th hole, play was suspended for an hour because of thunderclouds. ''At that time I wanted to play on, but I think it was good to have a break,'' Luiten said. ''I wasn't playing really well before the break, so I got some food and tried to focus again.''
Defending champion Bernd Wiesberger shot a 69 to finish 14th at 8 under. The Austrian dropped a shot at the last hole, which might have cost him a starting spot at the U.S. Open, which begins Thursday at Merion in Ardmore, Pa. ''The bogey on the 18th was very disappointing,'' said Wiesberger, who needed a top-10 finish to stand a reasonable chance of qualifying. ''I've just made too many mistakes the whole week.''
The PGA Tour announced Thursday that CIMB classic is moving from the mines at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club & for the tournament October 24-27. For the first time, the event will be a Malaysian official tournament calendar 2013-14. Tiger Woods played in last year's tournament. Along with Mickelson, past winners Nick Watney, Bo Van Pelt and Ben Crane are first commitments. An appeal to move to Kuala Lumpur is that the course is approximately 5 km from the heart of the city centre.
The CIMB Classic is a week before the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the final World Golf Championship of the year. "The classic CIMB is now a marquee event on the PGA Tour calendar. The event has grown from strength to strength over the past four years. This year he makes his debut as a PGA Tour event with a higher prestige points and a new venue, "said Dato ' Sri Nazir Razak, Group Chief Executive, CIMB Group. "KLGCC is a place that will give us the steps we need to take it to the next level."
Opened in 1991, the West and East courses were completely redesigned and reopened in 2008 and 2010, respectively. The course is no stranger to world-class golf, serving as host, the European Tour and the Asian Tour Malaysian Open co for the last four years, as well as the LPGA Malaysia for the past three.
With the PGA Tour 2013 season prestige points currently on its way to the playoffs in August and September, there is added anticipation to 2013-14-aligned just season starting this October. The new season includes the CIMB will point classical prestige points as part of the 2013 season-long prestige points 14, making it the first official event of the PGA Tour prestige points, which will be held in Asia. Official prestige points reward points with more players on the PGA Tour are expected to make the trip in Malaysia for this year's event.
Mickelson, who is no stranger to Asia having participated in the Singapore Open annually since 2007, along with multiple appearances and two titles at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, will make its debut at CIMB Classic, as well as in Malaysia.
"I have heard great things about Kuala Lumpur and CIMB classic by guys who have played there. This will be my first visit to Malaysia, I'm really excited and looking forward to the experience, "Mickelson said."CIMB classic presents an excellent opportunity for PGA Tour players compete in Asia and is part and parcel of the game globally. I think it's great that the classic CIMB is part of prestige points; certainly pushes the competitiveness of the tournament and encourages the presence of American golfers in the region. "
Players will compete for increased prize money of $ 7 million, compared to $6,1 million last year. The tournament, which is co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, will feature 78 players, with 60 from the PGA Tour from 10 Asian Tour and eight sponsor's exemptions, including two Malaysians.
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