Furyk's Rainy Payday

Known to be the most "gritty" player in the PGA field, perhaps no one deserves this prestigious victory more than Jim Furyk. It ended up being a double payday for the winner of the championship, as his win at East Lake solidified his first ever win at the Tour Championships, but also allowed him to clinch the top spot among the players vying for the Fed-Ex Cup title. By winning the Tour Championship he earned 1.35 million dollars paired with an additional bonus of $10 million dollars for landing at the top spot in the Fed-Ex Cup. The normally controlled and contained Furyk sunk his par putt on the par 4 18th green and exploded into a state of unusually high emotion, which until now had really never been seen in the player. "It just hit me," said Furyk, "I was excited and dropped the putter and.. I don't know. I guess at that moment, you're really not responsible for what happens next." This victory was not a walk in the park by any means for Jim, both the wet conditions and the field of players were beating down on Furyk's back. Luke Donald, Reteif Goosen, and Paul Casey helped closed out the head of the field, and Furyk's final round 70 edged second place Donald by only one stroke. The excitement at this event was at an all time high due to the new make-up of the Fed-Ex cup, with so much movement on the leaderboard, the champion was truly an unknown until the very last hole of play. With Furyk's win he joins the likes of Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh as the players listed on the Fed-Ex cup. Thus highlighting the prestige and quality of play that is required to win the culminating title of a busy year of the golf season's tours and events. The tournament was filled with incredible shots which are shown in the video to follow, but for Furyk, this crowning achievement must be short lived, with the Ryder Cup only a few shorts days away, he has already been asked to join his fellow American's as they prepare and train for the most exciting event in golf. Only the next time around, they play for pride and nation, no money involved.

THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Who's your Money on?

Starting Thursday, the Tour Championships at East Lake will be underway. My anticipation for a great tournament are very high with 30 of best golfers in the world vying for the title. The field has been dwindled down all season, from 125 to the now remaining 30, only the strong survive the cut to compete in this culmination event of the PGA tour. Starting Thursday, Nine of the US Ryder Cup team and just one from the European Team will be competing for the title. 4 Players control their own destiny in terms of points and standings, those players being, Dustin Johnson, Charley Hoffman, Steve Stricker, Paul Casey, and Matt Kuchar (also the favorite). Kuchar looks to put an exclamation point on his incredible season by ending the year with a win at the tournament, one in which he has never won or even competed in for that matter. Now, with East Lakes Make-over (mentioned below in post), the course is a tough par 70, with rewards for players who can play strong confident irons and smooth consistent putting. Other notable mentions include, Ryan Moore, who finished 3rd at the BMW championships. Also included in that note-able mention list are players such as, Geoff Ogilvy, Retief Goosen, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson, and Lucas Glover. All players with history and experience at tournaments of this scale, yet still, the tournament is truly up for grabs and will remain a tight race till the culminating round on Sunday. As for my money, it will be placed firmly in the hands of Dustin Johnson, coming off of his momentus win at Cog Hill only 2 short weeks ago, Johnson is on top of his game, and will be carrying tons of momentum into the tournament. I will post updates once the tournament begins, until then, the anticipation is eating me alive. I'll see you at East Lake.

New Look For East Lake GC

With 30 players competing for a $7.5 million purse and a $10 million Fed-Ex Cup bonus up for grabs, conditions at East Lake will be perfect for tournament play. Ralph Kepple, the course superintendent is the one to thank for the courses new look and pristine conditions. Three years ago, following a summer heat wave, Kepple gave the courses greens a new look converting the greens from bentgrass to bermudagrass. This change was made as East Lake's particular location and micro-climate were deemed acceptable for the transition. Under the expert care of Kepple and his staff, the new greens and turfgrass have matured, and are now ready for the PGA field. Regarding course conditions, Kepple quotes, "It's dry and were firming up." Also claiming that one last rainfall would do the course well, however, if conditions stay the same, the pro's can expect firm, fast greens, and unforgiving rough. Kepple will not be alone come tournament time, nearby turfgrass students, area superintendents, and assistant superintendents will comprise a group of 60 volunteers aiding Kepple's staff of 26. Come tournament time, East Lake and Kepple will be thankful, as they will need all the help they can get. A PGA Event holds dire consequences for the courses conditions, and requires the aid of other professionals in the turfgrass profession.

Mickelson to Defend Title

Everybody's favorite left-handed golfer, Mr. Phil Mickelson, will soon defend his title at the The Tour Championships beginning on the 23rd. Phil finished in a tie for tenth at the BMW championships saving his best round of golf for the final day, shooting a 67 on sunday. "It’s nice to play a good final round and it’s good to have a little bit of momentum," Mickelson said. "I felt like I played well all week but I didn’t score very well. I felt today I kind of put it together a little bit, but even today I left a lot of opportunities out there." These confident words are perhaps a sign of things to come when the Championships get underway in Atlanta, at the East Lake Golf Club. In the Fed-Ex cup standings Mickelson sits tenth, four spots higher then he did a year ago, again pointing to a positive and controlled Phil come tournament time. Now, while consistency has long been a detriment to Phil's game, perhaps the mere fact alone that he is defending his title will bring out the best in him. A strong finish is needed for Phil to keep his Fed-Ex cup hopes alive and as defending champion, we are all ready to see what Phil will bring to the table. 

BMW Championship: Johnson on Top

  After disqualifications and the lot of other breakdowns for Dustin Johnson this tournament season it must be a relief for Johnson to walk away from the BMW championship with his second win of the season. Playing in the final group of the day, paired with Ryan Moore, both players are a sign of things to come for the PGA Tour, both young, strong, and determined to make a name for themselves it made for some great golf in the final round. Trailing by one entering the final two holes, Johnson took a risky tee shot on number  17 (a par 5) in order to put himself in striking distance of a birdie and the chance to take the lead. He did just that and stood on the 18th tee with a one shot lead over Paul Casey. While consistency has long been Johnson's shortcoming, there was no sign of any such emotion as he drilled his drive down the right hand side of the 18th fairway, on the green in two, he calmly two putted his way to the championship. The reception of Johnson's win was quite positive as the gallery exploded in cheers and congratulations. Johnson's -9 score, was the best shot at the championship since 1995. With Johnson's win, it seems quite clear why he has become a captain on the upcoming Ryder Cup Team. Perhaps, he will carry his positive momentum into the following Tour Championship, and beyond. For Team USA we can only hope..

welcome to my PGA Tour Golf blog

   First, Welcome all as I take this opportunity to introduce myself, I'm Kyle Swiatlowski, a New Jersey native with an insatiable interest in golf and all of it's aspects. My love comes from a closely tied childhood with the game, through constant exposure as a result of my fathers occupation, a Heads Greenskeeper at a Private membership golf course in Alpine New Jersey, Montammy Country Club, I became a sponge at an early age for all things golf. From the age of 3 I had a club in my hands, and while the size of the clubs has changed since then, the love of the game is as strong as ever. One of the benefits of my father’s occupation is being able to play and experience a number of different golf courses for free, a luxury of being a part of the USGA. In truth, either a Tee Time at nearby course or a bucket of balls at the driving range occupies most of my free time, regardless there’s always time for some golf. I believe that my love of the game comes from a love of nature and the out-doors, golf to me represents one of the most beautiful games available for us to play. This outdoor environment and the natural aspect of the terrain make you a craftsmen, an “artist” during every shot, and a very high respect is necessary to even play the game well. Of all sports Golf is far and away the most humbling, one-day you may believe that you have the game mastered, only to come back the next and shoot over 100. It takes perseverance and a steady head and hand to master the complex game. This fact gives me even more respect for the professionals in the PGA tour, for them to come as ready to play as they do to every event is mind-boggling to me. While consistency is the most important aspect of Golf at that level, the player’s professional attitude and execution make them a pleasure to watch during these tournaments. In High School I played competitively for my high school and had a chance to experience the aggressive nature of the game, as Match play was the standard. However, with no galleries and shouting fans, the atmosphere is nothing to compare to a PGA event. So with that said, contained in this blog will be a plethora of topics in regards to the current news in the game, conditions, golf courses, and new technology to name a few. I'll be posting a variety of topics here on the blog that I encourage everyone to respond too with your own unique perspectives and ideas.

          Throughout the course of the coming months there is a lot happening in the professional golf world including the ever-prominent Ryder Cup. The culmination of the golf season, where only the best make it in, and the pressure is on as the tournament takes on a new element, pitting the United States versus the European Nations in a battle for bragging rights and standing in the modern golf world. Players from each side compete throughout the year at all of the tournaments to accumulate points that will solidify their spot on the team, some have buy ins however, the majority of players have to earn their stripes. This will bring me to my first blog concerning the state of affairs of the United States Team, Recently on Sept. 10^th the coach of team USA released his four very important Captain’s Picks, adding 4 players to the list of Eight already to qualify. They are Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, and Richie Fowler. Now while all of these names are recognizable, one stands out like a sore thumb. Tiger Woods, does he or does he not deserve a spot on this prestigious team, not even a year after his personal life took a turn for the worse. The three names that aren’t Tiger’s have all had outstanding seasons playing consistent and finishing high in the leaderboards, but Tiger, well that’s another story. Since his debacle Tiger has failed to truly make his comeback in the golfing world. He is visibly distracted and often seems easily irritated and out of it. In the past two tournaments he had displayed small beacons of hope that he might soon return to the illustrious Tiger of old, only to be disappointed by mediocre and average finishes. In fact, at Ridgewood Country Club no more than two weeks ago, Tiger went for being the leader to finishing in the heart of the pack.

         With this said, I have to raise the question of whether of not I can truly believe that Tiger is the one for the spot, especially that of a captain. I feel that Tiger’s “redemption story” has had far to great of an impact of the decision of the United States Team, they could be letting a time bomb into the mix with the other golfers. Now while, I will never question Tiger’s golf abilities, in fact, I will even admit that when he is on his game, he is the best in the world, I will raise the question of whether or not I believe that his head is in the right place to begin the most important golf tournament of the year. With so much riding on the tournament especially for Tiger it could turn out to be one of the best decisions made for the team or one of the worst. Time will only tell.