Click Here to find out how to lower your handicap by 30% and stop losing golf balls. Our "Lowerscores Manual" will show you how. Guaranteed.

The Week on the tours:

For three days it looked like Phil Mickelson was going to reclaim his role as king of the desert, however on Sunday a mediocre round allowed Scottsdale resident Jonathan Kaye to come through for his second tour win at the FBR Open. It was a very impressive top ten with Justin Leonard, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Mike Weir, and Sergio Garcia including three left-handers. I think it is a shame that Tiger does not play this tournament anymore, as it is always one of the more exciting on tour. Next Week one of the favorite tour stops takes place at Pebble Beach, as Tiger makes his first appearance since the Mercedes Championship.

It took three playoff holes for Tom Watson to take the final hole of $260,000 and win the Champion's Skins Game in Hawaii. The final five skins gave Watson a total of 10 for $400,000 while Arnold Palmer rekindled some magic and took home 5 skins as well for $140,000. Palmer had failed to win even one skin the past two years. Jack Nicklaus finished third with three skins and $60,000 and Lee Trevino was shut out.

Ernie Els made the treck to Thailand for the Johnnie Walker Classic on the European tour. He finished four shots behind the winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. Colin Montgomerie, Thomas Bjorn, and Nick Faldo were amoung the other stars who finished in the top ten.

Next week the Nationwide tour begins in Panama for those hoping to make the PGA Tour.

Tour results:

PGA Tour:
2004 FBR Open Phoenix:

1 Jonathan Kaye -18 ($936,000)
2 Chris DiMarco -16
T3 Steve Flesch -15
T3 Vijay Singh -15
T5 Duffy Waldorf -13
T5 Mike Weir -13
T7 Scott Verplank -12
T7 Phil Mickelson -12
T9 Retief Goosen -11
T9 Kevin Sutherland -11
T9 Fredrik Jacobson -11
T9 Sergio Garcia -11
T9 Justin Leonard -11

European Tour:
2004 Johnnie Walker Classic click here for results

Champion's Tour:
2004 Wendy's Champions Skins Game 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:

2004 Heineken Classic
Feb. 4 - 7
Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Victoria, Australia
Defending: Ernie Els
Purse: $1,185,000


Champion's Tour:

2004 Royal Caribbean Golf Classic
Feb. 6 - 8
Crandon Park Golf Club
Key Biscayne, Florida
Defending: Dave Barr
Purse: $1,450,000 ($217,500 to winner)


Nationwide Tour:

February 5 - 8
BellSouth Panama Championship
Panama Golf Club
Panama City, Panama


LPGA Tour:

March 11 - 14
Welch's/Fry's Championship
Randolph Golf Course Complex
Tucson, Arizona

Golf Books and Magazines:

Get great deals on all golf books, computer games, and videos. See my favorite golf books here.

Quote/Joke of the week:

"A woman I know is engaged to a real golf nut. They're supposed to get married next Saturday...but only if it rains." -Cindy Garner

Tip of the week:

Playing in the wind:

A moderate wind will have very little effect on solidly hit ball. Once the wind becomes more severe, you want to focus on hitting the ball solidly and slowing down your swing. Even though the urge is to try and hit the ball harder into the wind, this will only cause it to have more spin and give you even more trouble. Into a strong wing take more club and swing easy causing a lower, less spinning shot. You will get more distance on the ground from the roll where the wind is not effecting the ball as much. Play for more roll. On shorter shots use the head wind to your advantage to help you stop the ball on the green.

With the wind, you also want swing easy and take less club. Take advantage of the wind on your drives by hitting high lazy shots. Remember it will be difficult to stop the ball on the green, but swinging harder on short shots can be a good idea if you take less club. The harder swing will give more spin to the ball and keep it from rolling so much after it hits the ground.

Don't worry too much about side winds. A solid, low side spinning shot will not be affected much in the air. More people get in trouble overcompensating for a side wind than if they had just played at their target. Never give the wind more than ten yards of credit either way.

For more golf tips click here.

Golf equipment and training aids: see our PROSHOP for full selection

• The best golf equipment does not have to break the bank. I use clone golf clubs from Pinemeadow Golf, and I have used many name brands. Custom clubs that fit your game is the way to go.

• The best site I have seen for golf fitness is here, for having the most golf specific programs for all season. There are also great pre-game stretching routines. Too many people neglect the stretching and fitness components of golf and it can really affect your scores. Use every advantage you can, go to Golf Fitness now.

• 
  *Great new weighted swing trainer that I use.

•   As seen on the Golf Channel and major magazines. Swing like "Iron Byron"

•   This revolutionary program will train your mind to better golf in minutes! World Series MVP Josh Beckett, Justin Leonard and Roger Clemens know.

Click here to learn how to use self-hypnosis like the pros to improve your golf swing and scoring.

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 and we may post them in the ezine.

Good Golfing,

SEAN HARDER

sean@lowerscoregolf.com

Plan your winter golf vacation with Expedia.com. Great deals on flights and sunny packages now.