The Inspiring Story Behind Scott Stallings' Rookie Win

Way back in March, when this was happening...  I wrote this:

c/o BNET/Chief Executive Golfer

March 17, 2011 - A couple of days ago I finally got a chance to check out  Chief Executive Golfer,  a blog written by PGA Tour rookie, Scott Stallings, for BNET, the CBS interactive business network.

The PGA Reshuffle: What Happens When You're Not Making Money was what caught my eye.  It was Scott's most recent post, and as I read it... then read his previous posts... I was captivated by the narrative.  It's Scott's personal story and it brings to life his dreams... and his disappointments... many of which are certainly shared by touring pros everywhere as they attempt to build sustainable golf careers.  I'd first heard about Scott... and his blog... via an interview he did for The Grill Room, with Golf Magazine senior editor Alan Bastable. 

Scott started the blog a couple of years ago and writes regularly.  His early posts find him grinding along on the Nationwide Tour.  He describes the frustration when he narrowly missed getting on the PGA Tour in 2009 and the joy of finally getting there in 2010.  He talks about the crazy travel schedule, the relationships he has with his caddie and swing coach, the money issues and missed cuts... and the sheer unpredictability of it all.   For the casual golf fan... and even for avid fans... I suspect many of the stories in Scott's blog would be a revelation.

c/o stallingsgolf.com

Scott is a preachers son, raised in Oak Ridge, TN.  His quintessential Middle American innocence and unaffected enthusiasm come through clearly in his writing.   He travels 300 days a year with Jennifer who he first met when they were both... in kindergarten. They started dating in seventh grade and she's now his wife.  Though she's as beautiful as any of the PGA Tour wives mentioned in the reality show story (of last March),  her look is decidedly more "winsome, storybook princess" than "fierce bad girl glamazon".

Jennifer manages the couple's complicated, constantly changing itinerary and acts as devil's advocate for her sometimes overly optimistic husband.  She's also a talented photographer... and a prolific blogger in her own right.  Life on the Road is where Jennifer chronicles the unconventional touring pro lifestyle from a partner's point of view.  Like her husband she describes the hardships as well as the joys and paints an engaging, eye-opening picture.

c/o PGATour.com

Scott missed the cut for the Honda Classic so right now he and Jennifer are in rain soaked Bogota, Colombia for the Nationwide Tour's Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open. Scott's currently in a tie for 22nd as the last group finishes their second round and the third round gets underway. Rules don't allow for play on Monday so the the tournament... and the next move for Mr. and Mrs. Stallings... will be decided this afternoon, on the completion, it's hoped, of 54 holes.  Theirs is far cry from the lifestyle of the top players.

c/o stallingsgolf.com

For Scott Stallings and other PGA Tour rookies... and for all of those trying to reach the PGA Tour through the Nationwide Tour or regional and developmental tours... the stakes, week-in and week-out, are arguably far greater than they are at the top, where players have status that allows them to worry much less about keeping their jobs.  To my mind, these rookies... and aspiring rookies... have a far more dramatic story to tell.  A good showing has got to mean more... and a heart break must be far more heartbreaking... when the specter of starting over at Q-school is hanging over one's head.

If these stories can be heard over the cacophony that surrounds the glamorous lives of top players, I'm sure they'll find an enthusiastic audience... even in this fragmented golf media landscape.   In fact, with the proliferation of new online golf platforms and multimedia golf entertainment networks, a well produced web series starring Scott and Jennifer Stallings might not be that much of a stretch.  In the meantime check out Chief Executive Golfer and Life on the Road for an ultra-engaging glimpse into the lives of the real rookies of the PGA Tour.

In a one-hole sudden death playoff today, Scott won the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. 

Ai Miyazato Has The World's Sexiest Golf Swing

I want what she's having.



Ai Miyazato brings an extraordinary grace to the golf swing... even in the pouring rain. Hers is one of those swings that many attempt to copy... for obvious reasons.

Beating the Heat With Night Golf at Highland Greens

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Night golf at Highland Greens

For the past week, it's been a sauna around here.

The National Weather Service issued heat warnings,  then Excessive Heat Warnings. Cooling centers have been set up in most cities and towns.

ER Physicians... who've been seeing twice their usual number of patients due to heat-related ills... are suggesting that everyone "try to avoid exercise or any exertion outdoors during the daytime hours".  So much for golf, right?  Well, not necessarily it turns out.

If you happen to live in southwestern Connecticut you can actually play golf at night on a challenging, well kept nine hole par three.

Highland Greens is located in Prospect, CT,  just 15 minutes from Waterbury and a half hour from both Danbury and New Haven.  The area has a colorful history that dates back to the revolutionary war, and the course... which was built in the early 60's... features deep green side bunkers and a man-made pond on the 7th hole requiring up to a 145-yard carry over water.

I couple of days ago I headed up there with Jordan and my twin sister, Cat. We teed off at 8:00pm.  Though the temperature had reached almost 100* that day, the evening was pleasantly cool, and the illumination is so well done that the darkness was never a hindrance. Highland Greens is a woodland course and the layout meanders through dark forests that continually pulse with the eclectic sounds of nocturnal animals and insects. Playing at night was a unique experience... slightly eerie, but awesome... and I definitely want to do it again.  I'm also curious to play there during the day, and will certainly do so... once the heat breaks.

I only had my Motorola Atrix with me that night but managed to get a couple of short clips that capture a bit of the Night-Golf-in-the-Middle-of-the-Woods vibe.

"An Excuse for Eccentricity" - Golf Inspires Prada

Creators of golf apparel often cite the fashion runways as inspiration for their designs, but the reverse was true last month in Milan at Prada's 2012 Menswear show in Milan... and the ironic thing is: Miuccia Prada hates golf.

Then again, the Italian designer has been quite open about being inspired by things she's not fond of and in this case she did admit that the wacky world surrounding golf, with its eccentric dress codes and good-taste-be-damned point of view, had rather captivated her.

If you like Loudmouth Golf styles... on steroids... with a dash of Lilly Pulitzer... on crack... you'll surely love  this collection.  

More on the Prada line... and reaction to it... tomorrow.  In the meantime you can get a bit of an idea of what I'm talking about by checking out the clip below:                                                           

Identical Swingers: Curious Tales of Twin Golfers

A couple of years ago I wrote a fun little post about twin golfers.

Being a twin myself... and a mediocre but enthusiastic recreational golfer... it was a topic that intrigued me, and I was delighted to find several sets of female twins playing professionally in different parts of the world.

Seoul Sisters Aree and Naree Song, mediagenic Brits, Samatha and Johanna Head, and at-the-time up-and-coming Irish tweens, Lisa and Leona Mcguire were the golf girl twins of the moment.

All of them have remained in golf; the Song sisters have gone in slightly different directions, with Aree once again playing on the LPGA Tour after winning her way back at Q-School, while Naree now coaches golf at Rollins College. Samantha and Johanna Head have taken time out from playing to put together and host The Tour Experience, a one day golf event where ladies and men join them to experience what life on a professional golf tour is like, and at sixteen, the Mcguires are quite simply on fire. 

As for Cat and I, we're like many recreational golfers with ultra-busy lives; while we've continued to have fun on the course and get out for social rounds and scrambles as often as possible, our less-than-stellar swings have seen little improvement and our short game short comings have persisted.  That is until recently, when we decided it was time to take our games to the next level.

For the past couple of weeks we've been working with a truly exceptional instructor whose unique approach has made a remarkable difference for both of us already.  Our goal is to hone our games and develop the competitive skills to get beyond the social/scramble stage by the end of this season, and we're both looking forward to the possibility of playing in some amateur tournaments in 2012.

Over the next several months I'll be introducing our and keeping you posted on our progress.  In the meantime however, a couple of weeks from now Cat and I will be playing in tournament quite unlike any other:  The Twins Day Golf Tournament.  It's part of the Twins Day Festival a huge gathering of twins from all over the world that takes place each year in... Twinsburg, OH.  We've never been but it sounds like it has the potential to be very... weird, wacky, interesting. It won't be highly competitive... but we do hope to win. We'll keep you posted.

Tee It Forward and Weigh in for a Chance to Win

Check your ego at the tips & play like a Tour Player

If you haven't tried it yet, this would be the ideal weekend to tee it forward.

TEE IT FORWARD... for those who don't know... is a new national initiative from the PGA of America and United States Golf Association that's encouraging golfers to consider switching it up a bit... and playing from the same relative distance as a touring professional would over 18 holes.  

Perhaps you think you're doing that already... and maybe you are... but chances are great you may not be. Based on average amateur driver distance/tee selection, many... if not most... amateur golfers play on courses that are proportionally far longer than the typical PGA Tour layout.   In other words, based on the average length of their drives, lots of guys golfers are insisting on playing from distances that... proportionately... would intimidate any PGA Tour player. 


Subversive as it may sound to some, what's being advocated with TEE IT FORWARD is, simply, playing from the set of tees best suited to one's abilities.  Whether those tees are red, blue, gold or... purple with pink polka dots.  It's all about making the game more fun, faster and probably a tad less frustrating. Everything's explained at the PGA and USGA websites.  There's also a great story on how the always innovative Barney Adams (founder of Adams Golf) initiated PLAY IT FORWARD   ... and the reason I suggested this might be a good time to try it out is that it's the final weekend to enter the TEE IT FORWARD sweepstakes. All you have to do is head over to PlayGolfAmerica.com, click on the “TEE IT FORWARD” banner and then the “Enter Sweepstakes” button.  There you'll be able to weigh in with your thoughts and/or experiences on this new initiative... positive or negative... and you'll be automatically entered.  The prize... by the way... is a stay-and-play package for four at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.  Runners-up will win two tickets to either the 2012 U.S. Open Championship or the 2012 PGA Championship. 


So why not try teeing it forward this weekend you may find yourself playing more like a Tour Player.

Golf Pigeon: An Awesome All You Can Eat Golf Buffet

Illustration via golfpigeon.com

It's amazing how much golf there is on the Internet these days.

News coverage, at the professional level, is non-stop... and thanks to niche golf bloggers with eclectic passions, it goes way beyond the top-tier tours.

Any kind of golf product or service you can imagine... and a few you probably never imagined...  can also be found; presented and reviewed on myriad sites and blogs and discussed (in sometimes heated exchanges) on forums or via Twitter.

Of course there's plenty of less-than-stellar golf content out there... spam-y sites with tons of garish ads and no original anything... but there's much more that's remarkably good, and I keep telling myself I'm going to create a directory of the good places... but I never quite get around to it. Someday... maybe. In the meantime let me tell you about one site... a relatively new one... that combines a lot of the best elements of a good golf place.

Golf Pigeon, which launched earlier this year. describes itself as a kind of "all-you-can-eat buffet for anything golf" and that seems pretty accurate to me; it's a high quality golf buffet... with lots of variety. You'll find news and reviews, training tips and videos and... just a week out of BETA testing they have users in 122 countries. So it's more than a little global.

Illustration via: golfpigeon.com

Initially... I've got to admit... I was attracted to their adorable logo... a fierce-looking little pigeon emerging from a golf ball shell (above)... but what sold me on the site were the contests and the pigeon coop where you can redeem "pigeon points for some great golf gear... and of courses, the human element.

After all when a site is social it's the users that make the difference and The Golf Pigeon population is very diverse, but collectively fun, and easy-going to the max... which is a really good way to be when you're talking about golf. They're also passionate about the game.

Oh, one more thing: Golf Pigeon has a partnership with Rickie Fowler and they're currently doing a rather awesome contest with truly excellent prizes.

Hats Back tests one's ability to wear a PUMA hat... backwards...  like the fabulous Mr. Fowler does.

So check out Golf Pigeon, I think you'll be glad you did. 

Derek Jeter: Memorable Golf Shots & Augusta Dreams

The weekend's biggest sports story didn't revolve around golf.  That's not to says there isn't a connection, however.

When Derek Jeter  hit the 3,000 mark on Saturday at Yankee Stadium,  he broke baseball records and secured himself a spot in the baseball hall of fame. 

Golfers and golf fans may wish to know a bit more about the mega-star's golf preferences, and while those preferences have surely changed somewhat in the couple of years that  have passed since the clip below was made, it does give you an idea of the ultra-famous short-stop's golf sensibilities.



And... Derek Jeter's Celebrity Golf Classic has been taking place for the past eight years and raising money for children's charities.  You've got to admire that... even it you're not a Yankees fan.

Ryo Ishikawa Serves Snow Cones and Lifts Spirits

What could be better on a hot, humid day than a good old fashioned snow cone?

A snow cone prepared by Ryo Ishikawa perhaps.

Earlier this week in Japan's Miyage Prefecture... where many have been living in shelters since the disastrous earthquake and tsunami... the "Bashful Prince" and other JGTO players, served shaved ice topped with flavored syrup after entertaining the area's children with a session of  SNAG golf.  The Japanese golfers were in the disaster zone to show their support for those most affected by it.  Additionally Mr. Ishikawa will be donating all of his earnings this your to disaster relief... and he's currently on top of Japan's money list.

The following day Ryo was off to the much chillier climate: that of of Kent, UK to play in the Open Championship.

Golf Clubs, Designer Bags & An Odd Upscale Robbery

The brazen burglar didn't have much of a pre-shot routine. 

From what I could see, he walked right into his set-up and took his swing. Of course his alignment was off and a couple more swings were necessary before he ultimately reached his target.


The incident took place in West Hollywood,  just minutes from Wilshire Country Club, and it was  captured on video.  This however, was not the kind of video golf instructors use to help a struggling player  correct his slice. 

This was surveilance video from Mayfair House, a posh boutique in an area not accustomed to the kind of smash-and-grab action that took place a few nights ago. 

After successfully smashing a section of the glass window, the stealthy swinger effectively used his club like a hook, and lifted out a prodigious number of designer handbags, walking away with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.  

Thus far it seems, the thief has not been caught.  Law enforcement might do well to show the video to local golf instructors... one of them may recognize the swing.

Bubba Watson in France & an Era of Big Personalities

June 30, 2011 - Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Europe

The biggest story in golf this weekend will probably end up being the one about Bubba Watson's behavior in France.

The fractious Floridian has assumed the mantel of golf's newest newsmaker... following in the footsteps of Tiger’s Knee and Lucas Glover’s Beard... because of a "rant" he launched upon missing the cut at the Alstom Open de France.

The remarks which began with his observations regarding the on-course ambiance in Paris, which is decidedly less structured than one typically finds at US events:

"It's not a normal tournament. There's cameras, there's phones, there's everything. There's no security. I don't know which holes to walk through. There's no ropes."

he then clarified, admitting: 

"I'm not used to that, I'm not saying it's bad. It's just something I'm not used to, I'm not comfortable with. It's very strange to me. Just very uncomfortable."

So, why did this become such a buzz-worthy, socially-shared, thoroughly reported... and re-reported... news story?  Probably because in addition to the fairly matter-of-fact comments above, Mr. Watson made a multitude of remarks that seemed almost totally scripted to reinforce/exaggerate his "unworldly, small town American good ol' boy persona":  he supposedly called the Eiffel Tower, "that big tower",  described the Château de Versailles as, "the castle we're staying next to" and dismissed the Arc de Triomphe as "this arch I drove round in a circle".  There were also reports of condescending behavior towards European fans and European Tour players.

The result was a virtual tsunami of Bubba Watson coverage.  A multitude of independent golf blogs picked up the story as did golf's most esteemed publications. Where it appeared, a lively debate generally ensued in the comments sections.  On Twitter, "Bubba Watson's French Misadventure" has inspired... and continues to inspire... a river of tweets from from a cross section of golf media types, tour players and fans.

At face value... particularly on Friday afternoon... this incident seemed to be a clear negative for the three time PGA Tour winner,  but with the passage of a few days, and with an apology that came via @bubbawatson on Twitter,  I'm not so sure about that.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's John Paul Newport wrote about the return of Big Personalities to professional golf, contrasting a generation of robopros with some of today's more visible and distinctive up-and-comers such as Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter and... Bubba Watson. Ultimately he concludes that there may just appear to be "more characters in pro golf as a result of players' newfound awareness of the power of personal branding and their ability to express themselves through social media".

Oscar Wilde said "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about" and that's  probably truer than ever in these days of audience fragmentation and short attention spans.  Given the fact that with a decent reputation management agent and an established social media presence one can control the fallout from an incident like l'affaire Bubba quite effectively and possibly even use it to enhance the brand.

And today's click-hungry media environment only makes such a strategy more effective.

At the 2007 Open de France

Editor's Note: When I attended the awesome Open de France a few years ago I was delighted surprised to find out that cameras, video recorders and cell phones were allowed all over the course throughout the tournament. I've got to admit it did cross my mind... as I discreetly took photos and shot video... that it had to be a bit distracting for the players. ~ At one point, as Colin Montgomery was leaving the green after a narrowly missed birdie putt, an amateur paparazzi got a bit too close and received an angry scowl and raised fist from surly Scotsman. Whoopsies.