GolfGirl Infographics - 2011 Masters, Early Picks

Infographics are awesome.  Marketers love them - that's a given - but so do regular folks, and these days they're everywhere; offering a whimsical visual representation of virtually anything,  from the cause of jet lag... to the cost of a latte... to the demographics of the internet.

At their simplest infographics are merely charts or graphs,  but they can also be compelling works of an illustrator's art. 



The Masters begins in a week and already it's THE major topic of conversation in golf. The tournament's distinctive history and unique traditions... combined with the wealth of statistics that come out of it each year makes it quiet "infographically friendly".

I've put together a quick word visualization infographic (above) based on early 2011 Masters picks (about 60). I culled them from predictions posted in the forum at sandtrap.com  and randomly on Twitter.  Yes, Tiger dominates, thus his name kind of stands out on the above. Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Nick Watson were also popular, then came Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell ... and so on.  The tiniest names had only been picked by one fan as of Wednesday 4/30 PM.  The pie below can only accomodate a few of the top picks.  I must work on that.  Anyway it's a start.

I have a feeling I'll be creating a few more visual representations of the 2011 Masters before it's over.

 

 Also...

3 votes - Hunter Mahan
2 votes each - Lee~Westwood, Anthony~Kim, Rickie~Fowler, Rory~Mcilroy, Luke~Donald, K.J.~Choi
1 vote each - Sergio~Garcia, Miguel~Jiminez, Angel~Cabrera, Ryo~Ishikawa, Ian~Poulter, Ernie~Els, Alvaro~Quiros, Justin~Rose,  Ricky~Barnes, Mark~Wilson, Steve~Stricker, Retief~Goose, Francesco~Molinari

Bunker Boost at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

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When the world’s top golfers convene at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship next month, they'll be greeted by five unique new bunkers on The National Course.
      
The bunkers, which protect holes 2, 5, 6, 13 and 17,  feature the kind of steep faces and well-defined lips that will require players to adapt their games and "think long and hard about club selection.”

For the first time ever outside of the US, all four reigning Major champions will be in the field, along with six of the world’s top 10 players.   The event has taken place on The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the past five years,  and a record number of spectators is anticipated at the 2011 sixth edition. ~ To that end the Championship Village has been enhanced and expanded and the spectator experience promises to be better than ever.

Abu Dhabi has become a top tourist destination, and now boasts three world-class, championship-ready golf facilities. In the past, US tourists have been scarce,  however figures recently compiled by "Conde Nast Traveler" magazine for their annual poll of readers indicate a rising number of Americans interested in travel to the Middle East. Tournaments like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship may encourage these future travelers to see the golf possibilities in the area.

Of Ryder Cup Jaegerbombs and Euro-US Banter

Rory McIlroy shared details of what sounds like a festive post-Ryder Cup evening.

It appears the solid gold trophy was put to good use.  Further tweets indicate that a rousing ping pong competition ensued, with Woods/Mickelson dominating the table.

Of Turtlenecks and Polo Shirts - the 2010 British Open

It's a look that's been around forever, but I've certainly never see so much of it... at least not in one place. I'm talking about the "short-sleeved-polo shirt-over-a-long sleeved-undershirt" look.

In the past, at the Open Championship... and other events where the weather was blustery... a more traditional sweater-over-a-polo-shirt, (possibly topped by a wind shirt or jacket) was the way most players confronted brisk conditions. The few who topped a long-sleeved turtle neck with a polo shirt looked... like dorks somewhat odd.

Over the past several days however... on the fairways and greens of the Old Course... myriad versions of that once unfashionable look have been on display. So much so that I think it now officially qualifies as a trend.

Last week at St. Andrews some wore it well... while others just couldn't get past dorky.

I like Phil Mickelson and I like a pink polo shirt... but please don't put them together with a long sleeved, moisture-wicking black compression undergarment between them. It just looks wrong. Right?

Lefty was far from the only layered player fashion victim. England's Ross Fisher is young and lean, but still looked weird in his polo-over-UnderArmour. And he wore some version of it for each anround. Talk about a sartorial strike-out. And the layers at left on Lucas Glover, look like what guys in these parts wear to the driving range.

Call me old-fashioned, but here's how I see it: a short sleeved shirt over a long sleeved shirt should be... interesting anomaly... an idiosyncratic style sported by a player like Y.E. Yang, who looks good in idiosyncratic. That's the way it always was in the past, no matter what kind of cold, windy weather presented itself.

To me it's kind of like Ryo Ishikawa's perfectly coordinated Yonex outfits or Rickie Fowlers distinctive PUMA Caps and Shoes. Those two players own those looks... and I'm a huge fan of both... but I think it would be farcical if the majority of players adopted either style.

At the time Seve Ballesteros won the 1984 Open Championship at St. Andrews he was considered fierce and flamboyant yet looked unquestionably elegant in a navy blue v-neck sweater over a white collared shirt, dark trousers and white shoes. If he were playing today I suppose he might have worn a navy blue polo shirt over white UnderAmour... and twenty years from now some futuristic golf blogger might nostalgically refer to the look as old-fashioned and charming.

"Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do." so writes Malcolm Gladwell in his book "The Tipping Point". He goes on to define the tipping point as "the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable." which makes me think that at the 2010 British Open a certain layered look may have reached the tipping point.

Photos: Getty Images