April 2011: Golf Digest Woman: Golf Digest

Results for April 2011 Back to Golf Digest Woman Index

Madison Pressel's big breakthrough

Monday, April 25, 2011

From the April 25 edition of Golf World Monday:

With a tennis prodigy uncle and a golf sensation sister, 19-year-old Madison Pressel knows about athletic success. Yet the paths that Aaron Krickstein and Morgan Pressel followed in pursuit of their dreams, as well as her mother's death from breast cancer when Madison was 12, provided the Texas sophomore an understanding of more than just what it takes to win on the court/course. Being true to yourself--that's what leads to real happiness.

(Courtesy of University of Texas)

So it was that the younger Pressel arrived in Austin in fall 2009. College golf might not have been for Morgan, but it offered Madison the chance to become the person she hoped to be. Nearly 21 months later, her choice looks to be paying off. A four-stroke victory at the Big 12 Championship Sunday was her first college win and the biggest of her career. Pressel carded an eight-under 208 at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., including a tournament-record 66 in the second round. Her play also lifted the Longhorns to the team title, the first tournament triumph of any kind since 2004 for a once-proud program. Madison now can tout something her famous sibling never accomplished, but you get the feeling that misses the point. It's not about one-upping someone else. It's about one-upping yourself.

--Ryan Herrington

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Would you ever use the Go-Girl?

Friday, April 22, 2011

As a gear editor with the world's No. 1 golf publication, I receive a lot of random product submissions from companies large and small -- everything from clubs and bags to golf socks and divot tools comes across my desk. Typically, the submissions are predictable, perhaps a little interesting, or sometimes even worth raving about. But once in a while, a product will stop me in my tracks and make me wonder what the world is coming to.

I've spent a lot of time writing about on-course restrooms and how important they are to attracting women golfers. I've also talked about the etiquette issues involved with male players using the woods as their occasional urinal during co-ed rounds. It was in response to the latter, and my comment that it's unfair that women can't do the same, that somebody sent me a product called Go-Girl. Apparently, Go-Girl is what's known as an FUD. Never heard of an FUD? Neither had I. It's short for Female Urination Device. (I kid you not.)

The company's website (go-girl.com) describes it this way:

"Simply put, GoGirl is the way to stand up to crowded, disgusting, distant or non-existent bathrooms. It's a female urination device that allows you to pee while standing up. It's neat. It's discreet. It's hygienic."

It goes on to describe how useful the Go-Girl device can be in all outdoor situations, including camping, skiing, boating and traveling. And now also, apparently, when playing golf.

I may be turning into a prude in my old age, but I'll take using a grubby men's room at the turn over pulling this thing out and stepping into the woods, no matter how badly I need to go.

I do, however, enjoy the company's logo and motto:

What do you think, ladies? Would you ever resort to using an FUD?

--Stina Sternberg

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Yes! Golf is back

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No, the game of golf never went away, but the company Yes! Golf (exclamation point included) did. Briefly.

Last December, fans of Yes! and its C-Groove putters -- which have been wildly popular over the last decade, especially among LPGA Tour players -- were saddened to hear of the company's demise. Relief came a month later with the news that Adams Golf had purchased the putter maker out of bankruptcy court; today, a revamped line is released.

If you're into the pink thing, check out the new Laura model ($199):

For pictures of the full lineup, go to yesgolf.com.

--Stina Sternberg

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Cheyenne Woods wins title, lives up to family name

Monday, April 18, 2011

From the April 18 issue of Golf World Monday:

That Cheyenne Woods claimed medalist honors at the ACC Championship Sunday was notable for a variety of reasons. A bogey-free final-round 68 at Sedgefield CC in Greensboro, N.C., gave the Wake Forest junior a five-under 208 total, seven shots clear of North Carolina's Allie White.

Woods' 54-hole score is the lowest a Demon Deacon has shot in the conference championship, and she became only the third Wake golfer to post three subpar rounds in any women's tournament. More importantly, her victory showcased the maturity and character that those who know the 20-year-old Phoenix native have come to admire.

That Cheyenne has a famous uncle is a fact of life she embraces yet has never let define her. Even though she knew her choice to play competitive golf would elicit numerous comparisons, she made it anyway, questions be damned. Her journey hasn't been easy, what with so many eyes curiously following her around the course. Still, she has steadily improved in college, appreciating the rewards that come with hard work. Perhaps it's too much to ask that one day Tiger Woods will be known as Cheyenne's uncle. But the days when Cheyenne is referred to solely as Tiger's niece are starting to be numbered.

-- Ryan Herrington

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