Sean is only 26 years old and with his third victory makes him one of the hotest of the guys 30 and under. Actually, right now he is one of the hottest golfers on tour with 6 top tens this year . He has the talent to play and the more he puts himself on the leaderboard late on Sunday he will gain the experience as well.

I really enjoy watching this young man swing a club. He has a great demenour and I get the impression that he is always giving 110% on each shot. He turned pro right out of high school and played on a number of tours before breaking through Q school in 2004.

Keep an eye on O’Hair cause this will not be his last win and being as young as he is gives him lots of time to win more tournaments.

Can’t wait for the Players next week!!

Swing Away

In an economy that is playing above par. Re-gripping is a great way to refresh your sticks without dropping a couple of hundred of dollars. Also with the wide selection in colors and materials that grips come in now, your clubs will love you for it. Your new grips will give you renewed confidence stepping on to the first tee and when you have to dig down into the rough stuff.

I believe that grips are an individual choice so spend some time and check out the variety that is available. Choose a grip that is comfortable and suits your personality. And remember if you choose a pink grip I will not judge!

————————————————————————————-

YE is 37 years young and with this win chalked up his 9^th professional win around the world. He had a very calm demeanor and seemed to genuinely enjoy himself earning his biggest check. I really enjoy watching a pro who has the ability to handle that amount of pressure and stress and make it look easy. There are so many athletes out there in all sports today that when things do not go as they should the anger and frustration show.

YE was a relatively unknown golfer, except for beating a popular golfer who goes by the name of Tiger Woods back in 2006. I am sure this is not the last we see of him.

Can’t wait for the second WGC event next week!

Swing Away

Now back to the topic. For those of us who do not have the privilege of living in an area where we can golf all year round, it is getting close to the time to start preparing for the season. For most of us winter brings on more couch and TV time. But it is time to get back outside and more importantly back to the course.

There are many ways to get back in to golf shape but what I want to focus on is the walking portion of the game. I like to walk the golf course and encourage all of you swingers out there to do the same. I think the general public perception of golfers is overweight dudes driving around in their little golf carts. Of course we all know that is not true but lead by example and get out and walk.

To prep our lazy winter bodies start by getting out and just walking. Start off by what you can do, meaning if you can only go for 10 minutes then do it. Of course, if you can do more go for it. As these walks become easier start to extend the time. Once you are comfortable that your body is ready to take the next step. Grab a backpack and put some weight into it, books, regular weights, etc. What ever you have to simulate carrying a golf bag down the fairway. If you get to a point where you find that the walks are not challenging enough it is time to start jogging. One of the most important things is to not kill yourself right off the get go, start small and build from there. Your body and mind will thank-you for it.

Golf is a great game and when you are not killing yourself by just walking down the fairway makes it even better. I am sure you have heard this before but just get out and do it! Sorry I have to go – for a walk that is.

Swing Away

The best part of this tournament and golf in general is the ability of pros to play along side the average and in some cases less than average golfer. Watching the pros on TV week after week we get used to flawless technique and great scores. But with the celebs playing the same course you get to see how good those guys really are.

This tournament was originally called the Crosby Clambake and was first played in 1937. Bing Crosby was a big fan of golf and the first place prize in 1937 was $500, won by Mr. Snead. It is played on three different courses on the Monterey Peninsula – Pebble Beach, Poppy Hills and Spyglass. Holy ground for golfers.

I am sure that 6 hour rounds is a little distracting for the pros, but hanging out with world class celebrities, athletes and business people sure makes up for it.

Swing Away

I will take this brief moment to comment on how it is too bad that the Cardinals couldn’t play as well as Kenny Perry (who earned his 13^th career win)! If you haven’t guessed I am a Steelers fan and just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to throw that in.

So where was I? Oh yeah – what? The reason I couldn’t hear you was because of the fantastic fans who attended the FBR. These are the most vocal fans I have ever seen at a tour event. And I loved it! Of course the 16^th hole is the high light of the tournament, with both the cheers and the boos. I am sure even the most experienced players were, shaking in their golf shoes a little walking onto this stage.

I have been a fan of golf for quite a while now, and one thing that I have learned is that I love golf but do not like all golfers. I say that because golf is a great game but some people have this uptight attitude that certain people shouldn’t play this great game or you have to play according to their rules. This usually means not having fun on the course. I am sure all of us have been on the course and met one of “these” people. Well after watching the FBR Open, the next time I meet one of these people I know what to do. I will take a note from the page of the 16^th and BOOOOOO them until my throat is raw and sore.

To the FBR and ALL of the wonderful fans I would like to thank-you from all of us here at fairwayblog.com for a wonderful tournament and showing us that golf can be loud and fun.

Swing Away

What about me? Come on, all golfers are guilty of it! Golf is back on TV and with the New Year you have made resolutions like, I want to be a better putter, or I want to hit more fairways. And I think deep down, we all know to achieve these things we need to work hard and practice or….. we can buy new stuff.

Now is one of the best times to make that purchase you have been thinking about. With the equipment manufactures coming out with the latest and greatest, and with the golf shops trying to move out last year’s merchandise, it is a good time to be a consumer.

I always recommend that you go to your local golf shop and try hitting the clubs you have your eye on. If there is a trade show, get there, so you can determine what you like and don’t like.

After you have had a look a round and have gotten a good feel for what you really want, then the real fun begins. The internet is good for more than the latest Paris Hilton video. It has hundreds of online golf stores reaching out to get your business. Look around and see what kind of deals you can get. I like to support local businesses and once I have found a great deal online then I take that to the locals to see if they can match it. Some times they can and sometimes they can’t, but you never know unless you ask.

The point is that if you are making a new purchase- enjoy it! I bet you will be surprised how much you learn when you talk to different people and don’t just buy the first thing you grab off the rack.

Swing Away

This week the pros are stuck in Hawaii again. Waialae Country Club, in Honolulu to be more precise. The Waialae CC is hosting the Sony Open, another beautiful Hawaii track. It is played as a par 70 at a length of 7,044 yards. This course does allow low scores with the course record held by Davis Love III of only 60 strokes. But Waialae tried to defend itself, Thursday and Friday with winds up to 50mph {80kpm) on Friday. Schools were cancelled due to the high winds but the pros played on. The winds alone couldn’t stop them from going low. Shigeki Maruyama posted a 65 on Thursday and Tom Pernice posted a 63 on Friday. In my opinion the most impressive round on Friday was Tadd Fujikawa.

Tadd Fujikawa is a local boy who is only 18 years old. Most of you probably remember this fine young man for making the cut in this same event in 2006. He was an amateur and only 16 at the time and became the second youngest player to make the cut at a PGA Tour event.

The reason I like Tadd and his story is that he is the ultimate under dog and has been his whole life. He was born prematurely and given a 50-50 chance at life. He stands only 5 feet 1 inch (1.55m) and weighs in at 155lbs. He turned professional in 2007 when most said he was too young. I can imagine that people have been telling him that he can’t and shouldn’t all along, but here he is! And he is making the best of it – he posted a 62 on Saturday and held the tournament lead for some time. It is easy to pull for the big tall athletically built golfer with all the talent in the world. But this is why golf is the best game there is. As Tadd has shown us, anybody can play this game and with hard work excel at it.

Keep up the good work Tadd and remember for all of those who say you can’t we say - go for it!

Swing Away

Here we go again! 2009 is here and, to the excited golfers out there, you know what that means. That’s right HAWAII! Thanks go to the Golf Channel for broadcasting in high definition no less. If you are like me, and live in a location that golf all year round is not possible, then Hawaii is a great way to jump start the New Year.

I personally have not had the pleasure of visiting Hawaii, or the pleasure of playing on its beautiful courses. I have actually heard people complain about Hawaii. They say it is to crowded, to much traffic, to much of a tourist trap. I can assure you that once I heard these observations I did more than raise an eyebrow. I may actually say something similar when I go visit, BUT come on. You are in paradise; all of these small details should not matter for one second. The back drops on the courses look absolutely breathe taking.

The course the pros are playing this week is Kapalua. I wonder if the architects giggled like school children when they first saw this beautiful location. It is one thing to design a beautiful golf course but it is another to design the course to match such wonderful surroundings. Kapalua is not an extremely long course at 7,411 yards, but there will not be too many flat lies out there. Plus there is a little 663 yard par 5 to finish off your day. Also, I feel for the caddies this week since this course is more than just a small hike. I am sure you will not hear much complaining since they are playing for a nice chunk of change.

Hawaii! Come on say it again, it’s just fun to say. Hawaii is a fantastic way to start off the 09 season. I would like to thank and wish the best of luck to the PGA, the players, the Golf Channel, the many fans out there, and most importantly our readers. If ‘09 is as great at ‘08 was, then we are all in for a real treat.

Swing Away

Perform a light activity like walking for five minutes to get that heart pumping.

All of these stretches should be done in a slow controlled manner.  Hold each stretch for at least ten seconds.  Slow and steady wins the race in stretching.

Head:
Look to your left as far as you can, and hold for ten seconds. Then repeat looking to the right.

Shoulders:
Reach over your shoulder like your trying to scratch your back. Use your other arm to grab you elbow and gently pull so that you fell the stretch in your tricep. Repeat with the opposite arm.

Forearm/wrist:
Extend your left arm, with your palm facing up, and use your right hand to help stretch your wrist down. After holding for ten seconds, then release and turn your arm over. Use your right hand to stretch your forearm in the opposite direction, with your palm facing down. Repeat with your opposite forearm.

Core:
Hold a golf club with both hands extended over your head and lean to the left. Hold there for ten seconds and repeat to the right.

Lower back:
Slowly bend over and try to touch your toes. If you cannot reach your toes, just go as far as you feel comfortable.

Legs:
Bend your knee so that your heel comes up to your buttocks. Grab your ankle and hold for a few moments. Repeat with your other leg.

Good Luck and safe stretching.