By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor
For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.
Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.
Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."
So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:
• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.
Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.
• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.
Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.
• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.
• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?
Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.
• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!
• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.
• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.
So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.
• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.
The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?
• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.
• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Wetterich's mission: master the weekend
Jupiter's Brett Wetterich found out last year why there's only been one player to win the Masters in his first try in the past seven decades.
Few pro golfers have had a wilder ride than Wetterich in their first trek to Augusta National. The Jupiter resident was tied for the first-round lead with Justin Rose at 69, then shot a 73 to take a one-shot lead after 36 holes as he tried to join Fuzzy Zoeller (1979), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Horton Smith (1934) as the only rookies to win the Masters.
But Wetterich's lack of course knowledge caught up with him on the weekend. He closed with rounds of 83 and 77 to finish tied for 37th. Still, he has learned something important about himself as he prepares for a return trip for this week's Masters.
"I know I have the ability to play that golf course," Wetterich said by phone Friday from Humble,
Wetterich knows all about making quick transitions. In late 2005, he was back at the PGA Tour's
But there's no bigger stage in the golf world than the Masters. Having a chance to lead the most famous golf tournament for two days is an experience few pros enjoy. Wetterich still laughs when he tells a story about how a buddy of his was in the
"When he was told it was 'some guy named Wetterich,' he was like, 'Are you kidding me?' " Wetterich said. "That was the one of the neatest things - I did lead the Masters for two days. It's documented. Nobody can take that away from me."
But Wetterich thought for several months this year he wouldn't get a return trip to Augusta National because he was told he likely would need season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He admitted the prospect of no Masters hurt him almost as much as the shoulder.
"I was really down for a while, because I didn't think I would be able to play this year, and who knows if I would ever get back," Wetterich said. "Ever since that tournament ended last year, I've really been looking for my chance to go back."
Wetterich admits he learned plenty last year. He said his biggest mistake was to try and pretend this was just another golf tournament on just another golf course. That obviously is not the case.
"The first couple of days I got by because I was hitting the ball good and making some key putts when I needed to," he said. "But it caught up with me on the weekend. This course is so totally different than any one we play on Tour. I can't play as aggressively as I normally do by going at pins. I'm still going to be aggressive when I can, but you've got to pick your spots."
At 34, Wetterich believes he'll have more return trips to the Masters. But who knows how many chances he'll have to contend? There's plenty of top pros who had that one chance at the green jacket but never got another sniff. At least he won't be as wide-eyed this time around.
"Last year was a great experience," he said. "To have that many eyes watching me was a pretty neat thing. I can't wait to get there."
The 72nd Masters
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Augusta National Golf Club,
Course: 7,445 yards, par 72
Purse: Approximately $7.25 million. Last year's winner received $1.305 million.
Defending champion: Zach Johnson (his winning score was one-over 289)
Area invitees: Robert Allenby, Mark Calcavecchia, Luke Donald, Raymond Floyd, Doug Ford*, Bernhard Langer, Jack Nicklaus*, Gary Player, Brett Wetterich
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m., 8-11 p.m., (replay), ESPN; 11:30-11:45, CBS (highlights). Saturday, 3:30-7 p.m., CBS; Sunday, 2:30-7 p.m., CBS. (There's also a bonus hour of coverage each day on www.masters.org)
Notables: For the first time this year, Wednesday's Par-3 Contest will be televised (by ESPN) from 3-5 p.m. ...
*Past champions won't play.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
15-year-old takes on UF, golf
Hannah Yun appears to be an ordinary collegiate golfer.
Continue to 2nd paragraph
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1126028622 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=294434710
The University of Florida freshman tugged on her Titleist cap after a recent practice, talked about her hopes of playing on the LPGA Tour, then zipped off to an afternoon class.
Don't be fooled, though. Yun is one of the most unique NCAA student-athletes in one major way.
She's only 15 years old.
"She's a whiz kid," UF women's golf coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. "A very bright young lady. She has a bright future ahead of her."
Except Yun's future has come to her at an accelerated rate. Yun, who skipped second grade, graduated from Bradenton Prep Academy in just two years by taking extra courses online. She was cleared by the NCAA and joined the Gators' sixth-ranked golf team at the start of this semester. Yun is believed to be the youngest NCAA student-athlete in the country.
Consequently, her college experience is unlike any other. Yun lives with her parents, Changsu and Youngsoon, in an apartment 10 minutes from campus. She can't get her driver's license until she turns 16 on April 12, so her parents drive her to and from campus each day.
Yun is enjoying the experience.
"It's not every day you're 15 you get to go to college," Yun said. "I'm probably not going to get the full experience because of my age and my circumstances here playing golf. But it's good for me to grow as a person and mature and learn about life."
This teenager has blended right in on one of the largest college campuses in the nation.
"She's a very mature 15 year old," said senior teammate Tiffany Chudy, who is six years Yun's elder. "She's very serious and dedicated to golf. That's what allows her to blend in well because we are too."
Yun will compete in her first collegiate event today when the Gators participate in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles. That is somewhat fitting. Just down the coast in San Diego is where part of Yun's rapid ascent through grade school occurred.
Quick rise through school
The first evidence of Hannah Yun's extraordinary intelligence came a decade ago in San Jose, Calif.
After attending first grade at an elite academic early childhood school, the Yuns decided to move their daughter to a Christian school. Yun scored so well on a placement exam, administrators wanted to immediately put her in the fourth grade.
The Yuns however, were wary of how Hannah would fit with children two years older. They opted to move her up just one grade, to third.
Two years later, the family moved to San Diego. There, it became evident Yun was not only an exceptional student, but also a talented golfer. In 2005, the family made a decision that would shape Yun's golfing career. They packed up and moved across the country to Bradenton where Yun would attend the prestigious IMG Ledbetter Golf Academy.
"She decided she wanted to golf for a living," Changsu Yun said. "So we moved to Bradenton."
The family's flexibility is a product of Changsu Yun's career. He is the owner of a software company, which means he can work out of his home anywhere.
Once in Bradenton, Yun began taking high school courses at Bradenton Prep Academy. The course work came so easily, she doubled her workload. Yun started taking online courses in addition to her normal classes.
"She was getting really bored with high school," Changsu said. "Sometimes when you get really bored you tend to fall behind. That's why we decided to give her challenge and double up. It was still pretty easy for her after we did that."
When it became evident Yun was on pace to graduate high school early, the next step seemed inevitable. Yun was ready to go to college.
"Before we knew it I already had enough credits to graduate,'' Yun said. "So we were like, 'What the heck? Let's just do it.' ''
Interestingly, Yun almost never made it to Florida. Yun initially made a verbal commitment to play for the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs have a 17-year-old junior golfer, Alina Lee, who also trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Lee joined the Bulldogs in 2005 when she was 15 years old.
Yun's plan took a turn, however, when Bulldogs head coach Todd McCorkle resigned last May in the wake of allegations he made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to his athletes.
With McCorkle out at Georgia, that left only one school where Yun wanted to go. Florida.
Adjusting to college life
Yun is mature beyond her years. When she's on campus, other students don't know she's as old as a high school sophomore.
"Most people don't know I'm 15 until I tell them," Yun said. "I have sort of gotten used to the 'Oh my gosh, you're 15 thing?' So I just try not to tell people. Unless I tell them, they don't know."
Chudy has spent some time with Yun outside the golf course. She said in places like the training room, other UF athletes are usually wide-eyed when they learn Yun is 15.
"People have been, like, 'You've got to be kidding me? You're 15?,' '' Chudy said. "She knows it. She's heard jokes about it. I think she's OK with it. She gets along well with everyone and everyone likes her. She's definitely blending in well with this team, that's for sure."
Changsu said the transition to college life wasn't too hard on his daughter. That's because she has spent her whole life in older social circles.
"She's always hung out with kids older than her," Changsu said. "She doesn't seem like she has much in common with her age group because she's always hung around with kids two or three years older than her."
Her teammates have accepted Yun.
"She fits in great," Chudy said. "She's really fun. She's fun to be around. We practice a lot together. We've been out to dinner a couple times. She's a really funny person. Good sense of humor."
Yun, however, is a typical teenager in one respect: She was anxious about fitting in at her new school.
"I think it was just myself getting nervous just because of the change in atmosphere," she said. "It is so big here. But everyone has been very nice to me. So it's been easy."
She's handling her classes well, too. Yun is taking psychology, English, math and a leisure management course.
"At first she was a little hesitant to what might happen," Changsu said.
"Now she says this is where she needed to be to begin with. She says one of the things she noticed about all of the classes is that it really helps her to expand her mind. That's why she likes it."
LPGA future
Briles-Hinton is certain Yun is on pace to one day join the LPGA Tour. However, that might not be for some time.
LPGA rules prohibit players from turning pro and making money on the tour until after their 18th birthday, unless a special exemption is granted.
In 2005, Michelle Wie joined the LPGA Tour at age 15. In January of 2006, Tampa native Morgan Pressel was granted a special exemption to join the tour at age 17.
Yun, however, said she isn't in a rush to turn pro.
"I've already talked to my parents about this," she said. "It would be nice if I turned pro (when I'm 18). But we'll just have to see where my game takes me. I can turn pro when I'm 20 or 18, it just depends on where my game is."
Yun came to Florida owning a No. 54 ranking in the Golfweek/Titleist junior rankings. She fired a team-best score of 71 in a team qualifier and cracked the lineup for the first event of the spring.
From those who play with her, there is no doubting her talent.
"Incredible," Chudy said. "To be 15 and here, you've got to have something. She's already got it. Talent speaks for itself. We just had qualifying and she qualified. Talent speaks for itself in that way."
As quickly as Yun has accelerated through life, she seems to have found a home at Florida. At least, for the moment.
"She'll have her ups and downs," Briles-Hinton said. "It's our job as coaches to give her more ups than downs. She's a marvelous young lady, a bright young lady, and you'll see her name on the tour."
Continue to 2nd paragraph
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1126028622 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=294434710
The University of Florida freshman tugged on her Titleist cap after a recent practice, talked about her hopes of playing on the LPGA Tour, then zipped off to an afternoon class.
Don't be fooled, though. Yun is one of the most unique NCAA student-athletes in one major way.
She's only 15 years old.
"She's a whiz kid," UF women's golf coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. "A very bright young lady. She has a bright future ahead of her."
Except Yun's future has come to her at an accelerated rate. Yun, who skipped second grade, graduated from Bradenton Prep Academy in just two years by taking extra courses online. She was cleared by the NCAA and joined the Gators' sixth-ranked golf team at the start of this semester. Yun is believed to be the youngest NCAA student-athlete in the country.
Consequently, her college experience is unlike any other. Yun lives with her parents, Changsu and Youngsoon, in an apartment 10 minutes from campus. She can't get her driver's license until she turns 16 on April 12, so her parents drive her to and from campus each day.
Yun is enjoying the experience.
"It's not every day you're 15 you get to go to college," Yun said. "I'm probably not going to get the full experience because of my age and my circumstances here playing golf. But it's good for me to grow as a person and mature and learn about life."
This teenager has blended right in on one of the largest college campuses in the nation.
"She's a very mature 15 year old," said senior teammate Tiffany Chudy, who is six years Yun's elder. "She's very serious and dedicated to golf. That's what allows her to blend in well because we are too."
Yun will compete in her first collegiate event today when the Gators participate in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles. That is somewhat fitting. Just down the coast in San Diego is where part of Yun's rapid ascent through grade school occurred.
Quick rise through school
The first evidence of Hannah Yun's extraordinary intelligence came a decade ago in San Jose, Calif.
After attending first grade at an elite academic early childhood school, the Yuns decided to move their daughter to a Christian school. Yun scored so well on a placement exam, administrators wanted to immediately put her in the fourth grade.
The Yuns however, were wary of how Hannah would fit with children two years older. They opted to move her up just one grade, to third.
Two years later, the family moved to San Diego. There, it became evident Yun was not only an exceptional student, but also a talented golfer. In 2005, the family made a decision that would shape Yun's golfing career. They packed up and moved across the country to Bradenton where Yun would attend the prestigious IMG Ledbetter Golf Academy.
"She decided she wanted to golf for a living," Changsu Yun said. "So we moved to Bradenton."
The family's flexibility is a product of Changsu Yun's career. He is the owner of a software company, which means he can work out of his home anywhere.
Once in Bradenton, Yun began taking high school courses at Bradenton Prep Academy. The course work came so easily, she doubled her workload. Yun started taking online courses in addition to her normal classes.
"She was getting really bored with high school," Changsu said. "Sometimes when you get really bored you tend to fall behind. That's why we decided to give her challenge and double up. It was still pretty easy for her after we did that."
When it became evident Yun was on pace to graduate high school early, the next step seemed inevitable. Yun was ready to go to college.
"Before we knew it I already had enough credits to graduate,'' Yun said. "So we were like, 'What the heck? Let's just do it.' ''
Interestingly, Yun almost never made it to Florida. Yun initially made a verbal commitment to play for the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs have a 17-year-old junior golfer, Alina Lee, who also trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Lee joined the Bulldogs in 2005 when she was 15 years old.
Yun's plan took a turn, however, when Bulldogs head coach Todd McCorkle resigned last May in the wake of allegations he made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to his athletes.
With McCorkle out at Georgia, that left only one school where Yun wanted to go. Florida.
Adjusting to college life
Yun is mature beyond her years. When she's on campus, other students don't know she's as old as a high school sophomore.
"Most people don't know I'm 15 until I tell them," Yun said. "I have sort of gotten used to the 'Oh my gosh, you're 15 thing?' So I just try not to tell people. Unless I tell them, they don't know."
Chudy has spent some time with Yun outside the golf course. She said in places like the training room, other UF athletes are usually wide-eyed when they learn Yun is 15.
"People have been, like, 'You've got to be kidding me? You're 15?,' '' Chudy said. "She knows it. She's heard jokes about it. I think she's OK with it. She gets along well with everyone and everyone likes her. She's definitely blending in well with this team, that's for sure."
Changsu said the transition to college life wasn't too hard on his daughter. That's because she has spent her whole life in older social circles.
"She's always hung out with kids older than her," Changsu said. "She doesn't seem like she has much in common with her age group because she's always hung around with kids two or three years older than her."
Her teammates have accepted Yun.
"She fits in great," Chudy said. "She's really fun. She's fun to be around. We practice a lot together. We've been out to dinner a couple times. She's a really funny person. Good sense of humor."
Yun, however, is a typical teenager in one respect: She was anxious about fitting in at her new school.
"I think it was just myself getting nervous just because of the change in atmosphere," she said. "It is so big here. But everyone has been very nice to me. So it's been easy."
She's handling her classes well, too. Yun is taking psychology, English, math and a leisure management course.
"At first she was a little hesitant to what might happen," Changsu said.
"Now she says this is where she needed to be to begin with. She says one of the things she noticed about all of the classes is that it really helps her to expand her mind. That's why she likes it."
LPGA future
Briles-Hinton is certain Yun is on pace to one day join the LPGA Tour. However, that might not be for some time.
LPGA rules prohibit players from turning pro and making money on the tour until after their 18th birthday, unless a special exemption is granted.
In 2005, Michelle Wie joined the LPGA Tour at age 15. In January of 2006, Tampa native Morgan Pressel was granted a special exemption to join the tour at age 17.
Yun, however, said she isn't in a rush to turn pro.
"I've already talked to my parents about this," she said. "It would be nice if I turned pro (when I'm 18). But we'll just have to see where my game takes me. I can turn pro when I'm 20 or 18, it just depends on where my game is."
Yun came to Florida owning a No. 54 ranking in the Golfweek/Titleist junior rankings. She fired a team-best score of 71 in a team qualifier and cracked the lineup for the first event of the spring.
From those who play with her, there is no doubting her talent.
"Incredible," Chudy said. "To be 15 and here, you've got to have something. She's already got it. Talent speaks for itself. We just had qualifying and she qualified. Talent speaks for itself in that way."
As quickly as Yun has accelerated through life, she seems to have found a home at Florida. At least, for the moment.
"She'll have her ups and downs," Briles-Hinton said. "It's our job as coaches to give her more ups than downs. She's a marvelous young lady, a bright young lady, and you'll see her name on the tour."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)