Buzzin Golf

Steve Stricker moved back to the number two spot in the world rankings after his victory in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club last the weekend on the PGA Tour.

The dependable Wisconsin native led for most of the last three rounds and, unlike early last season, showed a good deal of composure after seeing his six-shot lead cut to two on a couple of occasions by Luke Donald and JB Holmes.

Stricker’s story is quite an amazing one as it is only six years since he lost his card on the PGA Tour and wondered what the future would hold after completely losing his swing with a driver, something a player with little distance off the tee would find a career-killer.

But he bounced back in style in 2006, finishing in the top ten at seven tournaments, mainly on sponsors’ exemption entries. Since the end of 2006 he has won five tournaments and competed well in the majors.

Victory in one of those has to be the next aim as he has top ten finishes in all four of them over the last two seasons.

Stricker’s resurgence is underlined by the fact that those betting online can get 5/2 on him topping this year’s US Money list.

He will never win any prizes for distance or for playing an exciting game, but in these times of improved technology he gets by, and on the greens there is barely a better player in the world. He topped the PGA rankings with the flat-stick in 2009 and putted superbly at Riviera while others were wasting chances.

Now, with Tiger Woods on the sidelines, he has the right to call himself the best active golfer in the world and what a deserved honour that is for a man who could walk down most high streets in the US and not be recognised.

Steve Stricker is certainly more deserving of the recognition at the moment than a surly Phil Mickelson, who huffed and puffed his way around a Riviera course he has won on twice in the past.

Who cares if Stricker admits to being boring? When it comes down to it, getting that little white ball into the hole is all that matters to him. At the moment he is the best in the world at doing it. Golf doesn’t always have to be exciting or controversial – boring will do just fine after all the travails Stricker has been through.

Recently, fame-hungry individuals have fed the media’s obsession with prying into the lives of celebrities by fuelling speculation about Tiger Woods‘ private life. It’s become such a focus in the press that one could be forgiven for forgetting that Woods is one of the most talented and successful sportsmen in history.

It’s therefore refreshing to see one of the player’s closest rivals, Phil Mickelson, express his desire to see the talented golfer back on the scene sooner rather than later.

Phil Mickelson revealed that he cares “deeply” about the problems currently affecting Tiger Woods and is obviously desperate to see him make a quick return for both personal and professional reasons.

Some might have been betting that those golfers put in the shade by Woods’ obvious talent would be rubbing their hands in glee at his absence from the sport but, according to Mickelson, this simply isn’t the case. Rather, it would seem that everyone is missing Woods, especially since “nobody will be able to fill the shoes that are voided right now”.

Any sportsman who cares about the public image of their sport wants the best players to be competing on a consistent basis and there is no doubt that without Woods, golf has taken something of a knock. It’s now up to players like Mickelson to come together and show the world that they’re capable of stealing the headlines away from the few determined to make them focus upon less savoury topics.

With Tiger Woods otherwise engaged the golfing world had been looking to Phil Mickelson to provide some early-season success on the PGA Tour, but instead he has found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

In the run-up to the Northern Trust Open much of the coverage has involved Mickelson’s continuing use of the Ping Eye2 wedges he has in his bag, which contravene the new ruling with regards to the banishment of square grooved clubs.

The Ping Eye2 wedge is currently exempt from the ruling and offers excellent control over short distances, especially from the rough. The difference is so great that Mickelson used it during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines despite the club being more than 20 years old.

The biggest talking point came after veteran pro Scott McCarron used a word that is not often bandied around in golf – cheat – to condemn those few still using the club, despite the fact they are not breaking the rules.

Of course, the spirit of the game is what McCarron should have been talking about, but to use the ‘C-word’’ was a shock to many, Mickelson included.

After a few days McCarron did apologise, but the row still rumbles on as the PGA Tour is yet to close the loophole in their rulebook. Talks to find a way to outlaw the old clubs without a legal fight are apparently being held with Ping. For now though, the club can still be used.

Whether Mickelson will be satisfied with the apology is another matter – he admitted he felt slandered by the comments and as one of the biggest names on tour, and apparently one of the cleanest, there is a chance he will take a stand.

But the arguments over square-grooved clubs have at least taken some of the spotlight away from Tiger’s indiscretions and brought the focus back to the action on the course, even if it is not for the right reasons.

Phil Mickleson is currently 6/1 favourite in the golf betting for the Northern Open Trust and his nearest priced competitor is Steve Stricker at 12/1.

New York diamond brand Kwiat has partnered with top women’s golfer Cristie Kerr to design an exclusive collection to benefit the Birdies For Breast Cancer charity.

The partnership officially launches at the Wendy’s Challenge, which takes place at the Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas on December 19th 2009 and will continue through 2010.

The Birdies For Breast Cancer Collection is inspired by Kwiat’s signature Platinum Star Collection and includes a pair of delicate drop earrings as well as a pendant of the same design.

Cristie Kerr will wear both pieces on tour through 2010. She says of the new partnership:

“I am delighted to have Kwiat join us in our mission to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. The earrings and pendant that they created are truly stunning. Our hope is that these subtle pieces will serve as a reminder of those we have lost to the disease, and hope for the future.”

Following the launch at Wendy’s Challenge the collection will debut to the public at Kwiat’s Madison Avenue flagship boutique. The collection will later be made available at Kwiat in Las Vegas and all other Kwiat retailers.

Kwiat will be donating 10% of all proceeds directly to benefit Birdies For Cancer.

lee westwood award winner

While the unfortunate Tiger Woods saga fills the gossip pages, Lee Westwood has been hogging the golfing headlines. A week after winning the European Tour’s Golfer of the Year award for the third time the world number four walked away with The Golf Writers Trophy, also for a third time.

Seve Ballesteros is the only previous player to win the Golf Writers Trophy three times, so Westwood is in illustrious company and he said after collecting the award;

“I am delighted to receive the award once again. It is a particular honour to have been chosen for the third time and to become one of only two players, alongside Seve, to have won it three times. That means an awful lot to me, especially when I consider the great players we have had on the European Tour. It is Seve who stands out in my mind for his record and his charisma and to be linked with such a great champion makes the award all the more special.

I would also like to mention Catriona Matthew. She would have been worthy of the award considering what she achieved this year. To have won the Women’s British Open just weeks after giving birth to her second child was a spectacular achievement. I have no idea how she managed it”

Catriona Matthew was runner up to Westwood for the Golf Writers Trophy and was followed by the young Irishman Rory McIlroy in third place. McIlroy had further reason to celebrate with news that he has achieved the highest world ranking of any 20 year old ever when he moved up to ninth place in the list.