Make room for an old friend.. Hot Driver

A cautionary tale... I'd warn: There are some old driver's around that beat the yards out of the "new" ones. 

This info is not new: A friend (really-sitting at a computer most of the day, I still talk with people face to face and develop relationships!) who works in a Super Store and has played at the National amateur level for many years plays a bag that is unavailable today (no retailer has sold his equipment new in years) and, because he "works" in the business, he has tried to "get current" but when tournament season comes around he always goes back to his faithful irons, wedges and driver (which is His bag-not mine).. 

I on the other hand have spent a small fortune trying to find 10 yards off the tee and a few more greens in reg.. buy a game? you sorta can but I'll get onto that subject some other time. I have two friends now..  make that three that use drivers that are more than 5 years old .. and they are Callaway drivers. FT-3's and an X-460. Introduced about the same time I think. Providing distance and accuracy that I've haven't experienced in a long time. I swing right around 102 and now with the FT-3 and a tour platform 26.3 shaft (stiff) I am into an area on my home course I've never seen before off the tee. If I miss the driver on 11 (mid length par 4 ...generally into the wind) I'll have 145-50 into the smallest green on the peninsula.. catch it and I've got 120-125..  used to be 175 if I missed and 145 if I caught it.. Earlier reports of my success with the tour Octane were true but I seemed to spay it now and then.  I hit a drive 273 yards the other day with the FT-3 and 255-260 is not uncommon. You can play from there. You can't get around the dogleg on 15 (two very big trees guard it) for a clear shot at the green without a 250 yard shot.. I have had 110 in with other drivers but I think I may have had a very fortunate bounce. 

I got a razr Hawk tour in the mail last week to try and had some hope for it. Love the sound and feel (really!) It is being reshafted today. Perhaps it is an FT-3 with a hosel.. we shall see. I don't have another one of those "old" shafts to try it with. 

The other heads on the Oldies but Goodies list are the original Cleveland comp and the 425 Orlimar. I have seen guys in competition crush these and have been told by fitters that they are very difficult to beat for ballspeed. 

Hear the reigning US Open champ (who left Cally for Srixon this year after a great 2010) tried a few drivers and now is back using his FT-3. Think Stenson also kept his FT-3 when he left Callaway. 

If you want to try one, the heads are inexpensive on Callaway pre-owned and eBay's good as well. I sure am pleased with what I found. 

In the racing I used to do when much younger (Tri's, Bi's, Cycling, Running) we used to say that so and so "found a friend" if they showed marked improvement due to weightloss, diet, drugs, or say a new aerobike. I just found one in a headcover tucked away in a travel bag.. I shafted it before and got nothing.. a new lease on life I guess. A hunch with an old shaft in the corner and my game has been issued a new lease on life. Get used to the sound.. It's easy with the performance. 

BTW-The Hawk is being outfitted with a MotoreF1.. We'll see!

"This place is a beast and a half" CK... The Ladies will play their Open this week

"This place is a beast and a half".. was a tweet from Christina Kim and I've heard they will play Oakmont at just under 6600 and par 71...have heard a lot of buzz on this one... and that the US Women's Open is finally on a grown-up golf course... so let's get it straight... nothing compares to Oakmont. I say that having never played it but one of my regular companions on course has and as a close to scratch player, did not break 90... He doesn't necessarily travel well but it's a very tough course and he has tour length on his side.. I for one will be very interested to see who is number one in the world of Ladies golf after this week... I'm picking Kerr...

..a few Tweets:  

@Kstupples Played the front 9 at oakmont today. I have to hand it to Johnny Miller a 63 round this course has to be the best ever

@Kstupples pebble has nothing on this place. Pebble is like a walk in the park, this is like climbing Mount Everest!!!

@TheChristinaKim: For the record. I have never in all my life seen a golf course like Oakmont. This place is a beast and a half

..will add to this one... it's Monday night.. 

Oakmont could lay claim as the most-challenging venue used for USGA competitions. At the 2003 U.S. Amateur, only one golfer out of the 312 starters for stroke-play qualifying managed to break par (70), while the stroke average was 79.014. Then again, Johnny Miller carded a final-round 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open, which is considered by many to be one of the best 18-hole rounds in major-championship history.

Course Preview (USGA Site).

Cristie Kerr, Yani Tseng, Anna Nordqvist go off the 1st tee at 1:14pm Tee Times

Angel Cabrera shot 5 over par to win the ’07 U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Link to a mostly (gotta be) excellent article in the New York Times about Cristie and delayed Motherhood.. and being the first American woman golfer to hold the number one ranking since??? bet you didn't know!

@KayCockerill  Mike Davis is setting up course similar to men's open in 07. Green speed is 13.5-14 on stimp and hole loc will be almost identical.  

Hmmm...prediction for the week: Winning score will be +4 and cut will be +12. Even par will be a terrific score any single day.

Can't wait for Women's Open to start tomorrow at Oakmont. I'm really curious as to how the women will play the course. Greens r outrageous!

@Golf_Tweets  Oakmont Is Cage Fighting in Fashionable Clothing Link to Armchair Golf Blog #Golf#Blog

40 Players in the Field are using a PlayersTowel. Buster Loves these Towels. Lightweight, Microfiber Waffle design that holds moisture really well.

"If the USGA wants to embarrass us, it's possible.", Natalie Gulbus in USA Today.

"I never came close to breaking par," Gulbis says. "On the first hole, you have to land the ball 15 feet short of the green, and it still might roll over the green. We've never played a course where you have to think about putting the ball off the green. You might have to think about that five or six times a round.

NYT Article: Question on Lips at Open: How Far Over Par?

NYT After Day One:  An Amateur Tames a Tricky Open Course

@ZachJohnsonPGA I'm picking Cristie Kerr to win Womens Open at Oakmont. Best of luck to all participants.  Thursday 6:48pm PDT

@ronsirak 46 players didn't break 80 in Womens Open at Oakmont. Under 10-stroke rule huge number cud play weekend. 146 players within 10 after rd 1.

US Open-The Random Thoughts

We live near Pebble Beach and I went out for 6 hours on Tuesday with a couple of buddies. I love getting close to the swings and that pro attitude..Chicken Caesar Wraps were the best! Out on Pebble with friends is always time well spent..Fast Forward:

Have been a Gmac fan since he  attended the University of Alabama and  won the Haskins Award in 2002 for the best collegiate golfer in the United States. I like the way he handles himself a lot.. he stayed within himself and did what he needed to do...no small feat when you are being out hit by 30-40 yards off the tee... I've tried it.. Fail.

DJ?..nobody flatlines the US Open... he has this passive/aggressive thing going on and his play on 2 was really bad... Bobby (his caddie) needed to stop him .. but that's easy to say in hindsight..think they should have had a revised plan for Sunday ..head it said a million times.. playing safe is the best choice most all of the time. "You don't need to ride in on a white horse to the applause of millions to grab the trophy".

Then there is Tiger. This week proved to me (again) how much the game really needs him. His 2nd shot 3 wood he carved out over Stillwater cove onto the 18th on Saturday was one of those Tiger shots... when Phil tried it, he found a watery grave.. Tiger delivered and he delivered a putt on 16 on Sat on his way to a back nine 31 that was exciting (especially for NBC). I have not liked the emotional displays but this time I was jacked up.  We say there is no resemblance between golf as most know it and Tournament Golf. I know that. Tiger knows it. He is very good at simulating the pressure, but you have to get out there when it counts. He's obviously not ready to win yet, but I think he will be at St Andrews for the Open Championship. Then there is the Stevie question. I have said before I think he needs a new caddie to go along with his new life.. When you try to overcome what he is you only need to change one thing.... and that's everything... that's one of the oldest tricks in the book...

My biggest disappointment for the week was Ernie.. He had a couple of "moments".. 2-3 footer for Birdie, back nine on Sunday.. he lips out... Champions make those.. He's such a good guy. I want to see him win another major. I do not like the revolving caddie situation. It is obvious who should be on Ernie's bag. After three that's all that matters. Right? .. maybe not the experts say his stock is up along with Westwood (my early pick)  and Phil.  Missing is action and expected to do better are both Geoff Ogilvy and Lucas Glover who may have a couple of top tens this year but likely has read a lot of books (on weekends).

All in all the course and Gmac get my vote...again.

So..Think You'd Hold Up Against the Us Open Set-Up at Pebble?

First you might want to check out the article written in May about the process the USGA goes through to "design" the course...

and then some commentary from Bubba Watson and Chris Wilson on Twitter about the Golf Digest Challenge: 

@bubbawatson so what would a player like you shoot if a 3 shoots 102?

@TheRealCWilson 77

@bubbawatson thats legit funny, play well next week

Gets it all in perspective very quickly...saw a bunch of guys who have no trouble shooting 65 on their home courses get a taste of what tournament Golf at the highest level is all about as they failed to qualify for our National Championship... 

The Pebble caddies have been telling me that you will need a wedge to get out of the rough and the spots that were playable last time around will not be this time...if there is wind the new tee on 13 will make the hole one of the toughest par 4's on tour not to mention how 14 will play. The fairway on 6 has been repositioned so

I'll be out there starting Tuesday of next week.. the guy with the Boston Red Sox hat on prowling around at the southern end of the course... holes 10,11,12,13... Marlboro Country...