May 2011: Golf Digest Woman: Golf Digest

Can a 6-handicap man beat an LPGA player?

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Editor's Note: In our first GolfDigest.com "He Said, She Said" feature, Golf Digest Senior Editor Stina Sternberg and Golf World Senior Equipment Editor E. Michael Johnson debate the depth of talent on the LPGA Tour. Sternberg, the editor of the Golf Digest Woman section online and in the magazine, says the tour is is strong from top to bottom. Johnson argues that while the tour's upper-echelon players are indeed remarkable, the talent level drops off considerably after that. In fact, Johnson, a 5.7 index who qualified for the 1984 U.S. Amateur, goes so far to say he could beat the LPGA's 100th-ranked player "once in a while" from 6,800 yards. To understand his reasoning, and to hear Sternberg's passionate counterpoint, read on:

STINA: It's been an impressive week for women's golf. First Morgan Pressel shoots 63 from the back tees to set a new course record at Bayonne GC. Then Isabelle Beisiegel qualifies for the Canadian Tour. Then the girls kick the boys' butts in the first televised PowerPlay Golf event. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the LPGA players are much better than people think.

MIKE: Morgan Pressel is an amazing player and I'd pay good money to watch her tee it up at any time. But qualifying for the Canadian Tour? Among Beisiegel's four rounds were a pair of 75s and a 78. Nice going. Good job. Well done. PowerPlay Golf? You may as well be proud to win an event with windmills and a clown's mouth on the course. Here's the deal: While the top of the LPGA Tour is comprised of truly excellent players, the level of play drops off fairly significantly once you get to a certain point, and unlike the PGA Tour, No. 100 on the LPGA isn't really a threat most weeks. And that's a problem for the tour. People watch professionals play because they do things us mere mortals can't. I'm not so sure you can say that about the bottom half of the LPGA Tour.

(Image courtesy of cwgaohio.org)

STINA: I totally disagree. If you ask any of the fans that come out to watch an LPGA event, they'll tell you they're plenty impressed with all the players on that tour. And when you look at the stats, your argument doesn't hold water. There's less than a four-stroke difference in scoring average between the number 1 player in the scoring-average stats (Yani Tseng at 70.29) and the two currently tied at 99th (Mhairi McKay and Yoo Kyeong Kim at 74.25). Plus, the winners so far in the 2011 season include Sandra Gal, who was ranked 100th before winning the Kia Classic in March. There are several similar examples over the years (need I bring up Hilary Lunke?). The bottom half of the LPGA Tour has plenty of game.

Women dominate inaugural PowerPlay Golf

Monday, May 30, 2011

It sounded like a silly concept, to pit 12 international golf stars of different ages, genders and nationalities against each other in a made-for-TV nine-hole tournament that featured a jacked-up Stableford format involving two cups per hole. And some of the players (ahem, Graeme McDowell and John Daly) certainly acted like they had debated staying in bed this morning before getting up and collecting their undoubtedly hefty appearance-fee checks. But in the end, Golf Channel's inaugural PowerPlay Golf event at Celtic Manor in Wales provided plenty of entertainment and some great golf. Especially from the three female pros invited -- Swedes Caroline Hedwall and Helen Alfredsson, and American Paula Creamer -- who ultimately finished first, second and tied for third, beating luminaries such as Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Gary Player, Ian Woosnam and McDowell.

LET rookie Caroline Hedwall won the inaugural PowerPlay Golf televised event. She pledged to donate half of her ⿬ 100,000 prize to the Swedish Golf Federation.
(Getty Images)

Sure, if you're the nitpicking traditionalist type, you probably didn't like the fact that the players could use laser range finders and played from different tees depending on gender and age. And yes, it seems strange that someone like Alfredsson, who started out by earning a modest nine points in five holes, could rack up 20 points in the last four and come close to winning simply by choosing her "PowerPlay holes" (the three holes among the first eight at which each player had to go for the more difficult pin) wisely. But no matter who you are, you'd have to admit that the strategy and gambling elements added a fresh dimension to the competition. The last three holes were nail-biters.

As a viewer, a few questions came to mind during the telecast:

1. How much did the players get paid by sponsor SAAB to participate in this boondoggle? Creamer, for one, flew in to Wales from Orlando this morning and is expected in New Jersey for the LPGA Shoprite Classic tomorrow. That kind of jetlag had to come with quite a price tag.
2. Where can I play PowerPlay Golf? If the goal with this new format is to grow the game of golf, why was there no talk of how to stage such an event at your own club? The UK commentators, mainly from SkySports, seemed like they were making things up as they went along and obviously weren't very familiar with the PowerPlay movement.
3. How in the world did LET rookie Caroline Hedwall, fresh off her first tour win the day before at the Allianz Slovak Ladies Open, fail to earn her LPGA Tour card last fall? The girl is a machine. By my count, she took 10 putts in nine holes, and none were longer than 20 feet.
4. Is it always freezing in Wales? We're two days from June and Alfredsson was playing in a down puffer.
5. When's limping John Daly going to pack it in?

Below are the final PowerPlay Golf results, with each player's scores. As in any Stableford competition, they earned two points for par, one for bogey, three for birdie and four for eagle. But on the PowerPlay holes (which each player had to call on the tee), the points were doubled. On the 9th hole, if a PowerPlay was called, a bogey resulted in three minus points.

Caroline Hedwall 32
Helen Alfredsson 29
Paula Creamer 27
Ian Poulter 27
Victor Dubuisson 26
Ian Woosnam 25
Maximilian Kieffer 22
Paul Casey 20
Gary Player 18
Thongchai Jaidee 16
Graeme McDowell 15
John Daly 15

--Stina Sternberg

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Beisiegel breaks barrier for women golfers

Monday, May 30, 2011

From the May 30 edition of Golf World Monday:

The most significant barrier-crossing figure in women's golf might not be Babe Zaharias or Annika Sorenstam or Michelle Wie, but Isabelle Beisiegel, a 32-year-old Futures Tour player whose T-9 finish in Canadian Tour Q school last week made her the first woman to earn a card on a men's tour.

In a field of 39 players in Parksville, British Columbia, the 32-year-old Beisiegel shot rounds of 75-78-68-75 to earn non-exempt status. Seven years after unsuccessfully trying to make it through PGA Tour Q school, does Beisiegel have the game to compete now?

The art of playing fast golf

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A new question sent to my "Ask Stina" column reads: "I'm a beginner and really scared to make the leap from the driving range to the golf course. How can I avoid making a fool of myself?"

This is by far the most common question I get, especially from women golfers, and the answer is always the same: Don't worry about how well you hit the ball -- or whether you'll even hit the ball -- just make sure you keep up the pace.

(Getty Images)

It's perfectly natural to be worried about playing poorly when you're starting out as a new golfer. But the truth is, the people you play with won't care about your score as long as they don't have to wait for you at every turn, and as long as you don't disrupt their game. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Never take more than one practice swing. Your pre-shot routine has to be short but sweet, and even if you're not happy with your practice swing, don't repeat it. Deal with any swing problems on the range after the round instead -- the golf course is not the place to fix what's wrong.
Don't waste time standing next to your playing partners when they hit. Sure, watch their shots, but do it from a spot that's either next to, or closer to, your own ball, so that you're ready to hit when it's your turn. Just make sure you're out of the way of the person hitting.
When it's time to putt, place your bag or cart on the side of the green that's closest to the next tee. If you leave it on the other side, or heaven forbid in the middle of the fairway, you will not only tick off the people in your own group but also those in the group behind you.
Read your putts from a maximum of two angles. This isn't the U.S. Open -- reading a putt should take no more than 20 seconds. Remember, speed is much more important than direction in putting.
Pick up the ball once you've reached two shots above your handicap on a hole. This is a common practice in many European countries, and one that should be more popular here in the U.S.: Before the round, mark your card with the strokes you should take above par on each hole when considering your handicap. For instance, if you're an 18 handicap, that means you get one stroke on each hole. If you're a complete beginner and a woman, that means you're technically a 40 handicap, so you get two strokes on each hole and three strokes on the four hardest holes on the course. Once you've taken more strokes than you're given PLUS TWO on any hole, simply pick up the ball and move on to the next hole.

If you can follow these guidelines, you don't have to worry about making a fool of yourself on the golf course. Just go out there and enjoy; playing with a happy, easy-going beginner is much more fun for the rest of the people in your group than playing with a grumpy single-digit handicapper.

--Stina Sternberg

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U.S. Solheim players tested at Pine Valley

Friday, May 20, 2011

GLADSTONE, N.J. -- How serious is the United States about fielding a team with strong chemistry for this September's Solheim Cup in Ireland? Serious enough that it gathered 16 top candidates for a training camp at the start of the Sybase Match Play Championship week.

That might not seem the best move, considering the difficulty of potentially playing six matches in four days at demanding Hamilton Farm in one of the season's richest events.

Most of the U.S. players had never seen Pine Valley before playing there Monday. Photo by Steve Szurlej

But it was Hamilton Farm's proximity to the training camp's site that made the extra day of work worthwhile: Pine Valley.

The players spent Monday afternoon at the suburban Philadelphia club -- New Jersey residents are quick to point out it, like Hamilton Farm, is in their state -- thanks to arrangements made by Sherri Steinhauer, an assistant captain to Rosie Jones. The round was divided into six holes of four-ball, six holes of foursomes and six holes of singles.

Cristie Kerr aided by late equipment change

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Cristie Kerr's hand was forced.

Playing a bit unevenly during the LPGA's recent fallow stretch, Kerr arrived at Hamilton Farm last weekend for the Sybase Match Play Championship harboring doubts about her irons.

"I had played around with these clubs the last couple weeks that we had off and I said, 'well, I'm going to give my irons one more chance when I get to the tournament,'" Kerr said. "And I just didn't hit them well, so I really didn't have a choice."

Two days shy of the tournament's opening round, Kerr dumped her irons and picked up a new set -- same model, same specs, just different clubs. Oh, and she pulled one of her on-again-off-again putters off the bench and put it in the bag, too.

"Why play something that feels worse, right?" Kerr said after a 3- and-2 victory over Amanda Blumenherst that featured winning the second through fifth holes. "It's a hard enough game."

-- Brett Avery

(Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

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8 weeks after birth, Annika's son comes home

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Exactly 57 days after Annika Sorenstam gave birth to her son William Nicholas McGee 13 weeks prematurely, she was able to take him home from the Winnie Palmer Hospital's Alexander Center for Neonatology in Orlando. Sorenstam, who has been blogging and tweeting about her baby's progress, called the period since Will was born via emergency C-section due to a placental abruption an "emotional roller coaster." Tuesday morning, she took to her blog to profess a mix of joy and nerves over bringing the preemie home, saying she and husband Mike McGee are "just hoping he'll be fine."

Sorenstam posted this picture of her family at home, including husband McGee, newborn Will and 20-month-old daughter Ava, on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

Will weighed 2.12 pounds at birth and had reached over five pounds in time for his homecoming.

Sorenstam, 40, retired from professional golf in 2008 after 72 career wins, including 10 majors.

--Stina Sternberg

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Work your golf muscles!

Monday, May 16, 2011

A good golf swing requires good posture, strength and flexibility. Here are a few exercises that will help women of all abilities hit the ball farther.

1. TAKE THIS TEST: Stand a foot away from a wall with your knees slightly bent and your lower back pressed into the wall. Lift your arms and try to touch the wall with the back of your head, hands, forearms, shoulders and elbows. If you can't do this, your posture needs work.

2. STRETCH YOUR BACK. Golf benefit: Stretches shoulders, chest and back muscles; helps you turn your back to the target. How to do it: Stand in your normal golf posture holding a club at each end. Rotate into your backswing while keeping both arms straight; a slight push with your left hand will increase the stretch in your right arm. Hold for five seconds; repeat 15 times.

3. PERFORM REVERSE FLIES. Golf benefit: Strengthens your upper back and rear deltoids (shoulders). How to do it: Rest your stomach and chest on a fitness ball with your feet against a wall for support. Holding two five-pound dumbbells, slowly lift your chest off the ball and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you raise your arms. Look at the floor during the exercise. Work up to three sets of 15 reps.

4. PUSH THE DOOR. Golf benefit: Stretches shoulders and pectoral muscles for a more complete turn. How to do it: Stand with your right hip close to a wall (or door frame); rest your right arm against it, elbow bent at 90 degrees. Lunge forward with your right foot as if your pushing through a doorway until you feel a stretch in your right shoulder and chest. Hold for 30 seconds. Perform two reps on each side.

--Stacy Montgomery

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Fun and functional golf shoes for women

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Most women own too many shoes, and golfers are no exception. But don't worry, it's okay to have a bad case of the Carrie Bradshaws. If you're still looking for that perfect shoe, check out these five models, selected by our fashion guru, Argy Koutsothanasis.

From the top:

Walter Genuin's Savannah Profile, $225, offers a spikeless outsole.

Nike Golf's water-resistant Air Brassie III, $110, is the perfect antidote for spring showers.

Equipt For Play shoes, $125, have a chic quilted, zippered upper.

Callaway Golf's Women's Couture Half Lace, $120, features foam insoles for better breathability, moisture control and cushioning.

FootJoy's LoPro Collection, $110, offers comfort with or without socks.

--Ashley Mayo

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Golf shoes: Learning to let go

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

They say moving is one of the three most stressful things in life (the other two being marriage and death), and I'm inclined to agree. I just went through this process while working and trying to take care of two kids (one of whom is practically a newborn), and the anxiety level was off the charts. From surprise termite swarms to broken furniture, we faced unpredictable setbacks at every turn. But throughout the whole ordeal, nothing brought me more stress than having to cut my golf-shoe collection in half.

I'm not a clothes horse by any means, and I'm about as far from a hoarder as a person can be. But I do own a ridiculous number of golf shoes. I refuse to call it an obsession, and I've successfully hoodwinked my husband into believing I need all these varieties of cleats for my job. I need different-colored shoes to match different outfits for video; I need different brands for outings with equipment companies; and I need different styles for different weather conditions. Right?

The truth is, I could get away with four pairs, not the 25 or so that were collecting dust in our garage. And since our new home has minimal storage, I had to face this reality.

I didn't end up staging a ceremonious golf-shoe bonfire the way I really wanted to (something in the local fire code put the kibosh on that). It would have been a nice way to give each shoe a proper send-off, reliving memories of faraway shoots in Scotland and Australia (the purple-flowered Adidas pair and the all-white FootJoys), never-ending Hot List testing (the saddle Callaways) and honeymoon rounds (the shiny black Nikes) as they literally went up in smoke. But cleaning them off and stuffing them in garbage bags for charity still turned into a sentimental journey. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where the grass stuck in the cleats on some of the shoes came from. And when I dropped off the garbage bags at Goodwill, I made sure the man who collected them knew their valuable contents. He asked if I wanted a receipt, but I told him no. There's no way I could have put a price on all those memories.

I'm not at four pairs yet, but I'm down to 10. I eventually kept those shiny black Nikes from 2001, even though they leak and have stripped spike receptacles. They still look good in videos.

--Stina Sternberg

(Photo courtesy of finegardening.com)

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