robbie biershenk – Page 5

Tag: robbie biershenk (page 5 of 32)

Marijuana is a performance enhancer? In golf? Really?

When the LPGA Tour begins its random drug testing next year, one of the substances they’ll be looking for is regular old herb – mary-jane – pot – weed – motivation – whatever you want to call it. I think I’m going to start calling it cannabinoid (’cause it’s fun to say). It’s number 7 on the list:

7. Cannabinoids

The LPGA prohibits the use of cannabinoids (e.g. marijuana), which are considered to be performance enhancing when administered to induce a perceived calming effect.

Okay, let’s see here…

First of all, what if a “perceived calming effect” isn’t why it’s – ahem – administered?

Second, I don’t know about you but I’ve witnessed golfers hitting the pipe on the course (this is Southern California after all) and the effect may indeed be calming but certainly not performance-enhancing. I’m sure a “calming effect” is much more important at that level of competition than to the recreational ~~smoker~~ golfer, but it seems to me that it would hurt more than it would help.

Based on my… research… a better reason to ban cannabinoids on tour is to prevent slow play. Seriously. Ever seen a stoned golfer deliberate over a putt?

Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak’s got a new bag – and notes from ADT championship

November 15, 2007 / golfchick / 2 Comments

Don’t let the headline scare you. She’s not leaving golf, she literally has a new bag.

Her caddie, TJ, is blogging all week about Se Ri in the ADT championship. He talks about her superstitious nature, who they like to be paired with and yes, her new Hall of Fame bag. What he doesn’t mention is who made the bag. If it’s the same one I think it is, it’s this beautiful design by keri golf:

Se Ri Pak's hall of fame bag

This bag was custom made for Se Ri (to her specs) to be permanently placed in her Hall of Fame collection in Florida. keri golf even knows how to make baby-poo-yellow (apparently it’s called golden age leather and is the color of the season) look good. The thing has logos all over it, including that interesting one on the side which represents her sister Yoo Ri’s apparel company. TJ’s blog says the bag is “whiter than I am” and I don’t get his meaning if this is the bag. It’s certainly not white. So, I’m not sure if this is it, but he describes the logos and the enormous size and says it’ll go in the hall of fame after they finish with it this week. Those things all sound like the keri golf bag.

I don’t have a keri golf bag – YET. They’ve got really cute styles and I look forward to seeing what comes out for next year.

ADT Championship – coverage and results from round 1

The richest purse of the year for these ladies – $1,550,000 with $1 million going to the winner and all we get are 2 hours of coverage a day with 3 hours on Sunday. I blooped through the whopping 2 hours and didn’t see a glimpse of Se Ri (she finished +5 today), so maybe she’ll make a move tomorrow and we’ll get to see her. She’s got her work cut out for her, but anything can happen. It looks like the Golf Channel (under LPGA’s production oversight) is only showing the top 16 players during their limited coverage.

I did see that Christina Kim (another keri golf staff player) finished well (at -5 to take the lead) and then Lorena Ochoa made her move. Lorena had herself to -6 when she took a quadruple bogey (!) on a par 3. Wow, she does make mistakes! Two on the same hole, in fact. Gotta watch that wind, Lorena. Sadly, last year’s winner, the adorable Julieta Granada, didn’t make the cut to even play in this tournament. Paula Creamer’s also up there towards the head of the pack but all that really matters is for players to stay in the top 16 for the first cut. Here’s where they all stand after today’s round:

ADT 2007 Round 1 leaderboard

Annika’s effort

Meanwhile, Annika Sorenstam is going to the gym to get out her frustration from today. How do I know that? She said so in her new blog after today’s round.

/soapbox on

In an interview with Christina Kim after her round, when asked how she’d spend the $1 million if she won, she joked about using it to become a 6’4″ size 4 blonde. At least I hope it was a joke. Christina, when talking about what’s important to you, don’t forget you’re a role model. If you really feel pressure to look like that, wouldn’t you hope that pressure would diminish for future generations? Quotes like that coming from a successful woman like yourself are counter-productive. /soapbox off

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FedEx Cup changes all about the money. Plus, my own points proposal.

November 13, 2007 / golfchick / 3 Comments

It seems the fans weren’t the only ones less than thrilled about the deferred payment and the lack of excitement it generated for the FedEx Cup playoffs. The PGA Tour announced some changes for 2008 and beyond. Yes, there will still be some deferred payments, but only a percentage.

Money money money money… MONEY – sing it!

Out of the $35 million dollar bonus pool, $10 million still goes to the winner, with $9 million of that in cash and $1 million into the tax-deferred retirement account.The way I understand it, another $6.5 million in cash will be split between the next 9 top finishers and the remaining $18.5 million will be split up into the retirement accounts of the top 149 players behind the winner (including the aforementioned 9 cash prize winners).

Um, okay… I guess that makes it a little bit more exciting for the fans. And more incentive for the players to be in the top 10 if they want any cash. And since the 150th player on the money list this year has already made almost $500K, it’s not like they’re hurting for pocket change. (Following my habit of reporting disparity in the Tours, the 150th player on the LPGA money list made an appalling $12,798. Hrmph. Seriously, that’s not even a yearly mortgage payment.) But I digress, as usual.

Other changes

They also made some changes to the schedule, primarily to allow room for the players to compete in the Ryder Cup. I’m sure it’s also to position the tournaments better for advertisers, ratings and sponsors (again money related).

Personally, I think the real problem is with the points and the structure of the whole thing. Apparently, the powers that be disagree:

“…the Policy Board did not feel the need to make fundamental changes to the overall structure of the competition. Accordingly, no changes have been made in the points distribution in the PGA TOUR Regular Season.”

The good news is they’re still evaluating the points system for the playoffs as they relate to reseeding and distribution. Excellent. Let’s hope they don’t decide it ain’t broke. Unfortunately, they’re only considering feedback from the membership and the PAC, not random golfchicks or bloggers. Incidently, I’m not sure what the PAC even is. Is that the same as the Policy Board? Player’s Advocacy Committee? Policy Assessment Committee? Perfunctory and Aimless Courtesy? Puppets And Commissioners? Perfectly Absurd Council? I better stop now before I can’t.

Anyway… if a PGA or PAC member is looking for ideas, perhaps they’ll check around the interweb. It is in that hope and spirit that I offer my own suggestion. I complained about the FedEx Cup, so it’s only fair I try to offer a solution.

The Golfchick points proposal:

First, when the reseeding occurs, let it be an actual RESET. To Zero points. Limit the playoffs to, say, the top 60 players from the regular season. If you really want 120, that’s fine, too. This points system will work fine to eliminate players along the way. Now, like the marketing says, let’s really make EVERY SHOT COUNT.

Side note: Check it out – my FixedUp Cup logo even has a subliminal arrow kinda like the FedEx one.

Let’s break it down

Players don’t get points for where they place on the leaderboard except in relation to how they got there. Yes, every hole, every good shot:

1 point awarded for a fairway hit.
1 point awarded for a green hit (in regulation with a par score)
1 point awarded for a birdie
1 point awarded for an eagle (plus the birdie point)
1 point awarded for a double eagle (plus the birdie and eagle points)

Par 3s: Worth a maximum of 3 points (for an ace/eagle). Green hit with birdie: 2 points. Green missed with birdie: 1 point. Green hit with par: 1 point. Green missed with par: 0 points.

Par 4s: Worth a maximum of 5 points (for an ace/double eagle – yes, they get the fairway and green points). Drive the green, make the putt for an eagle: 4 points. Hit the fairway and hole out for eagle: 4 points. Miss the fairway and hole out for eagle: 3 points. Hit the fairway and the green and make the putt for birdie: 3 points. Fairway and green hit for par: 2 points. Fairway hit, green missed, hole out for birdie: 2 points. Fairway missed, green hit with birdie: 2 points. Fairway missed, green missed, hole out for birdie: 1 point.

Par 5s: Worth a maximum of 5 points (for a double eagle – fairway+green+birdie+eagle+double eagle). Hitting the green in two only increases points if converted. Fairway hit, green hit, eagle: 4 points. Fairway hit, green missed, eagle: 3 points. Fairway missed, green hit, eagle: 3 points. Fairway hit, green hit, birdie: 3 points. Fairway missed, green missed, eagle: 2 points. Fairway missed, green missed, birdie: 1 point.

So you see how this can get exciting? Players will be rewarded for hitting fairways and greens but can still make up points by holing out. We might see some strategy changes. Just look at the par 5: A ho-hum birdie is worth the same as an eagle if you missed the fairway. Same with the par 4s: A ho-hum par is worth the same as a birdie if you missed the fairway. Every shot really counts and the projections would be a lot more fun this way, too.

There – that’s my contribution. Feel free to use my points system. I’d appreciate some consideration when you’re naming it, though.

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The Wait is Over for Se Ri Pak

November 12, 2007 / golfchick / 0 Comments

Se Ri Pak winning smile

Se Ri Pak had all the points she needed to make it to the Hall of Fame three years ago, but she had to complete 10 seasons to officially qualify. Now the wait is over.

Today, the stellar South Korean golfer will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. Not only is she an incredible player, she has enriched the sport by inspiring countless young women in South Korea to take up golf and excel at it.

“In 1998, there was one Korean on the tour,” says Karrie Webb, an Australia native. “Now there are 32. That’s because of her. She is the face of Korean golf. If they don’t already know, they should know now how much she’s done.”

Congratulations to Se Ri on this much deserved honor. She is the definition of a winner.

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Justin Timberlake will host the Las Vegas PGA Tour event

November 12, 2007 / golfchick / 5 Comments

The Q-tip is at it again. Justin Timberlake’s name is often bandied about in the world of golf. The buff mouseketeer is Justin Timberlake lines up a putt often seen on the golf course and plays in Pro-Ams and celebrity tournaments, and with his six handicap has talked about wanting to turn pro. Whether or not that ever happens, now he’s found a way to be an official part of the PGA Tour without being a member.

Today, the Tour announced that Justin will be the host of its Las Vegas event starting in 2008, with a five year contract. Formerly sponsored by Frys.com, the event will now be known as the Justin Timberlake Shriner’s Hospitals for Children Open. Says Justin: “Raising money to better children’s lives while playing golf? I can’t think of a better way to pass the time.” Can’t argue with that – raising money for any worthy cause while playing golf is about as Pabstian* as it comes.

*“It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Naturally, JT will play in the event’s pro-am, but he also plans to host a concert during the week of the tournament. No word on whether money raised from the concert will benefit Shriner’s, but I’m guessing it will, at least in part. Which would make sense: “Music” for children benefiting children. Nice match, Justin. Congrats on your new gig.

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Paula Creamer destroys field in Alabama

November 12, 2007 / golfchick / 1 Comment

Paula played great golf this week at the Mitchell Co Tournament of Champions in Mobile, AL.

Creamer faced and frustrated a formidable field of all the top female golfers. She took a commanding lead in the second round and finished at 20 under, 8 shots ahead of Birdie Kim and 10 shots ahead of the third place winners Annika Sorenstam, Pat Hurst and Natalie Gulbis. With this win, she moves up to 3rd on the LPGA money list behind Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Petterson (who finished 9 and T6, respectively). I was surprised to find out she only won $150,000 for her efforts. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson flounders and shoots a 76, but recovers to win in a dramatic playoff in a field with few recognizable names. Lefty’s prize? $833,000. Hrmph.

Paula Creamer Mitchell Co champion

The pink panther, possibly the cutest golfer on the LPGA tour, will take some serious momentum into next week’s ADT championship with its $1 million first place paycheck.

She has quite a fan following, and I wonder if the t-shirt scorers will head over to Florida to watch her play there. You know, the three grown men in pink t-shirts on which they kept her scores, tracked her birdies and professed their undying devotion? Nah, traveling across state lines would probably be too over-the-edge.

Congrats to the fuzzy pink kitty-kat and good luck next week. Now that you’ve won with that silly pink ball, can you put it away please?

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Spikeless golf shoes?

November 11, 2007 / golfchick / 5 Comments

After some further browsing on Ecco’s site (golf product porn), I discovered that one of the shoe styles I had my eye on has a spikeless sole. I don’t know how I feel about that.

Ecco uses Stinger spikes (I love that they match the color of the shoe) and I imagine they have a lot to do with the performance and feeling of stability.

What can the benefit be of a spikeless sole? How are they different from regular sneakers?

The spikeless sole pictured below is pretty, but how would it perform? It’s not completely flat – maybe those little protrusions act like spikes? Aren’t spikes a key element of a shoe being a golf shoe?

Ecco spikeless shoe sole Ecco sole with spikes

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I love my Ecco golf shoes and they love me

November 9, 2007 / golfchick / 0 Comments

Don’t worry – it’s a platonic love.

Ecco makes great shoes. I have always believed that, so when I took up golf and purchased my first pair of golf shoes, naturally I went with Ecco.

For me, comfort is paramount, but with Ecco I also get great performance and style. Over the summer I added another pair of Ecco’s to my golf shoe collection and they are easily my current favorite. I went with the Casual Ribbon series in orange and white. My first time out with them was at an SCGA affiliate club tournament. It was a team event and I played with the president of my club. It’s a competitive event and most players are men (including my partner). I usually play better under pressure but any added confidence is always a bonus. Ecco casual ribbon orange

I laced up my shiny new Ecco shoes and immediately felt that boost of confidence. Seriously. Each step I took – starting right there in the parking lot – felt deliberate and confident. I had to glance down a few times just to admire them but then needed to put them out of my mind. They were so comfortable it was easy to forget about my feet and just play. But I felt so stable and powerful in those shoes that they kept creeping into my thoughts. That must have helped, too, taking my mind off the unproductive swing thoughts that can mess with my game.

We played well as a team and I wore those shoes for both days of the event. I told the story of the tournament here, but the bottom line is that we would have tied for first place if not for a scoring error that put us in second. While I don’t attribute my performance and our team success entirely to Ecco, they certainly played a big part.

On the second day of the event, the twosome we were paired with were also sporting some great looking shoes (one of them was also in Ecco’s) and we had a mutual shoe admiration society going on. People who appreciate style appreciate Ecco. People who have worn Ecco understand the pleasure of the step. The company has a lot of information on the technology and the controlled manufacturing environment involved to achieve that feeling but for me, it’s all about results.

I think this in an interesting little side note: with all my other golf shoes, I invariably lose spikes and have to keep spares on hand. With these shoes, I haven’t lost a single one. Well, I did take a clumsy toe-step and one popped off but that was my fault, I felt it right away, retrieved the spike and popped it right back on.

Ecco just released a bunch of new styles and I have my eye on a few. The new ladies Casual Pitch Ribbon come in new colors that I like (pictured below in white/rose) and there’s a cute raspberry color in the Grip style (above). I like their men’s styles, too, but in the Casual Cool Hydromax style, they call that color “brick” (above). I guess it sounds more manly than raspberry, but the shades look pretty similar to me.

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Telephone conversation with Annika Sorenstam

November 3, 2007 / golfchick / 1 Comment

Meet Sunshine, another kind of golf chick. Sunshine is a talkative African Grey parrot who lives with our friends Hugh and Keets. Evidently, he gets phone calls from professional golfers. In this video, we listen in on one of those calls. Every noise in this video comes from Sunshine. He does all his own sound effects, including the phone ringing, the pop-top can opening and the Nextel-like beeps. My favorite is when he makes the squeaky-shoe noises as he walks. He doesn’t reveal who is on the phone until the end.

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