In this edition:

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The Week on the tours:

Vijay Singh's only birdie on Sunday at the PGA Championship was on the first playoff hole, and it proved to be the only one he needed. His regulation 76 was enough to get into a playoff with Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco at Whistling Staights, which played tougher today with the wind up. Vijay said it was unfortunate the way he won with Leonard missing 4 putts of less than 12 feet down the stretch, but I am sure he will take his second Wannamaker Trophy and third major.

Dimarco's finish got him a spot on the Ryder Cup team, as did Chris Riley's tie for fourth (see the final U.S. Ryder cup standings here). Phil Mickelson had some trouble in the wind and was unable to set the record for finishing top 3 in all four majors, but his tie for sixth gave him four top six finishes. Only Ernie Els had comparable success at the majors this year. Els finished tied for fourth ending up just short of overtaking Tiger for number one in the world ranking.

PGA Tour:

2004 PGA Championship

1. Singh, V. -8
2. DiMarco, C. -8
2. Leonard, J. -8
4. Els, E. -7
4. Riley, C. -7
6. Choi, K. -6
6. McGinley, P. -6
6. Mickelson, P. -6
9. Allenby, R. -5
9. Ames, S. -5
9. Crane, B. -5
9. Scott, A. -5
13. Clarke, D. -4
13. Davis, B. -4
13. Faxon, B. -4
13. Oberholser, A. -4

European Tour:
2004 BMW Russian Open click here for results

Champion's Tour:
No event scheduled click here for results

Nationwide Tour:
2004 Price Cutter Charity Championship click here for results

LPGA Tour:
No event scheduled click here for results

For full field scores and stats on all the tours, go to PGA Tour.com.

This week:

PGA tour:

European Tour:

Same as PGA Tour


Champion's Tour:

2004 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn
Aug 20-22
Rock Barn Golf & CC
Conover, North Carolina
Defending: Craig Stadler
Purse: $1,600,000

Nationwide Tour:

2004 Alberta Classic
Aug 19-22
Redwood Meadows
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Defending: Tom Carter
Purse: $450,000 ($81,000 to winner)

LPGA Tour:

2004 Wendy's Championship for Children at Tartan Fields
Aug 20-22
Tartan Fields Golf Club
Dublin, Ohio
Defending: Hee-Won Han
Purse: $1,100,000


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Quote/Joke of the week:

"Weight distributed, Free from strain, Divot replaced, Familiar terrain, Straight left arm, Unmoving head - Here lies the golfer, Cold and dead." - Richard Armour

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Product review

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Tip of the week:

Tips for staying focussed and present on the golf course:

You have heard time and time again how important it is to stay in the present when playing golf. Here are some suggestions to help you do this.

Like in the rest of life, the present moment is the only place you can take any kind of action, so it is important to ensure that your mind is focussed there. On the golf course the two main things that get in the way of staying focussed in the present are thinking about past shots, and thinking about your score. You want to be totally involved in the shot at hand.

The first tip that can help is to focus only on your breathing. I would suggest silently counting your breaths as you are setting up to and taking your shot. This comes from Zen and is a very effective way of being present and keeping your mind from being distracted. Focus on nothing else but your breath and allow your senses and body to take over as you prepare for and execute your shot. This is especially effective when putting.

A strategy to use in between shots in addition to counting your breaths is to focus on your footsteps while walking to your next shot. Even if you are riding in a cart you can do this by stopping your cart at least a few steps from your ball. Just pay attention to the feel of the ground beneath your feet and imagine that your are very solidly connected to the ground.

Of course you need to do some mental work prior to your shot like choosing your club and visualizing the shot you want to play, but make sure that this is all you are doing with your mind. Be totally focussed on what you are doing with the shot in front of you. If you find your mind wandering to your score, a previous shot, or any other mental distraction, go back to focussing on your breath and footsteps before setting up to your shot.

You will be amazed how good you can play when you get your mind out of the way and treat each shot as a new game.

For more golf tips click here.

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Subscriber feedback :

Do you have relevant questions, comments, or opinions about golf that you would like to be heard? Have any suggestions to improve this ezine? Please email them to sean@lowerscoregolf.com

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2004 Final U.S. Ryder Cup qualifiers:

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Good Golfing,

SEAN HARDER

sean@lowerscoregolf.com