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 Sorry for the delay, but we were waiting for Ben to get his trophy and get out of the rain.
Last week we made a mistake and now we're paying for it. Like KiwiDave, anyone that notices a retraction-worthy mistake will be properly rewarded. There was plenty of chatter after the meltdown in New York. Some notable and unrestrained quotes were compiled by GolfWorld.
Callaway brings us more quality hardware and we bring you a quality profile. The FT3 hybrid brings technical innovation and originality to a diluted hybrid market. Stay tuned and keep that bag fresh. -G.Gwrx
  Gourmet Golfwrx congratulates Tiffany Joh for winning the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship. Her Championship concluded last Sunday with a 6 and 5 victory in the 36 hole final at the Walking Stick Course in Pueblo, Colorado. A UCLA freshmen, Joh is a first-team National Golf Coaches Association All-American selection. Apparently, Joh enjoys winning awards with long titles. "Coming into this tournament, I really didn't have too much confidence in my game," Joh said. "And this definitely gave a little bit of a boost. When you go from thinking that you might have a chance of missing the cut to like winning the tournament, you are like, 'Whoa, hold on a second, rewind.' It's just blows me away on everything that's happened this week."
(Spoken like a true southern Californian- Joh's originally from San Diego)
 Will somebody tell Phil that ING does not stand for I'm Not Going? Phil has decided to pass on this week's ING Par-3 Shootout, stating that, "It's always about having fun, and I didn't think it was fair to the event to act like I could have a lot of fun right now." It's too hard to pretend like he's having fun? Anyone who reads this is allowed to take tomorrow off from work because "it's too hard to pretend like you're having fun."
  With Callaway’s blessing, iron/wood and metal/composite are wedded in holy matrimony, bringing strength to the FT3 family. You may assume all of the feature mixing compromises the club’s identity, but it possesses a definite sense of purpose. In an overpopulated hybrid market, filled with impersonators, I welcome the originality of the FT3.
This FT3 hybrid is attached to an 85-gram Graphite Design YS-hybrid shaft. This set-up provides some heft and gives the swinger confidence to make an aggressive strike. Combined with the weight advantages of the composite crown, the FT3 produces a straight, casual, parabolic flight that lands gently 225 yards away. This is a go-to club for par 5’s and long par 3’s.
  From a sensory perspective, this club defies all expectations. The FT3 has a smooth, elegant shape and the carbon fiber is visible, gentle, and pleasant at address. Unlike the FT3 driver, the stainless face provides a crisp and metallic sound. Sweepers will enjoy this club from tight lies and minor rough. Joe Kwok, more of a digger and compressor, was hoping for a sharper leading edge that encourages a divot. The FT3 is comfortably positioned between a game-improvement and high-performance golf club. It can fit into anyone’s game. The excessive onset at address is the downfall of this club. This is a function of the loft of the club and is not entirely Callaway’s fault. The combination of face exposure from 20 degrees of loft and the bore-through, hosel-less design makes the club appear ladle-like and closed at address. To my eye, the minimal face exposure of Callaway’s 17 degree does not have this problem. This club stands up to all tests and should easily replace any 2 iron in any bag. If the onslaught of cloned hybrid clubs is confusing to you, choose the Callaway FT3 because it dares to stand alone. More pictures and opinions can be found at Golfwrx.
 Nobody cares about canned sound bites. Quotes without restraint are always better. Here are a few that were compiled by GolfWorld. "There were no troubles or problems. I didn't need my Golf Digest badge."
Colin Montgomerie, on the support he received from Winged Foot's galleries during his first-round 69 in last week's U.S. Open. Before the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, Golf Digest distributed to fans "Be Nice To Monty" pins in hopes the sometimes prickly Scot would not be heckled. "I would look at someone like Lee Janzen, who had won two U.S. Opens, and my jaw would drop. ... [If] someone has won a couple of these things, it doesn't mean he is going to play like a major champion every day of the week."
David Howell, winner of the recent BMW Championship, on overcoming his awe of other players when he first turned pro. "We're pushing for it."
Bob Ford, head professional at Oakmont CC, on reports the club wants to follow Jack Nicklaus' lead at the Memorial Tournament and furrow its bunkers when it hosts the 2007 U.S. Open. USGA officials said the idea has not been formally discussed. "I'm astounded that Detroit could sell an asset of this nature without there being a legitimate shot from any interested party."
Alex Allie, city manager of Huntington Woods, Mich., after Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced plans to sell Rackham GC (which is located in Huntington Woods but owned by Detroit) for $5 million to developers who plan to tear it up and build residential housing. Huntington Woods has since offered $5 million for Rackham and promised to leave it as is.
"We get e-mails from people who say they're having so much fun, they can't wait to get back to work."
Bill Lacey, the USGA's manager for Internet services, on golf fans who use their office computers to watch streaming video of live U.S. Open coverage. "Whatever, dude, it's a boat. It's not Tiger himself.'"
Brant Swidler, security guard at Harbour Island Park in Mamaroneck, N.Y., on what he told the dozens of tourists who tried to enter the park last week so they could look at Tiger Woods' 155-foot yacht, "Privacy," which was docked next door in Derecktor Shipyards. "Every time I've asked him a question, I can honestly say he has never given me a real answer. Never once. And I've been pretty nice to him."
Johnny Miller, NBC golf analyst, on Tiger Woods.
Last week's blog post, "To New York, With Wings On," caught a snag. The irony of the mistake is humorous. Here's the excerpt:  "Jay Haas, Jason Gore, Tom Kite, Michelle Wie, Carlos Franco, Notah Begay, Brad Faxon, Joe OgilvieGeoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Jesper Parnevik, Trevor Immelman, and Peter Lonard were some of the golfers that failed to qualify."
Apparently, Geoff Ogilvy DID qualify for the U.S. Open. Like many people, I confused Joe for Geoff. I'll never make that mistake again. Apologies to Geoff and Joe.
Thanks kiwidave for leaving a comment and identifying the mistake. For his effort, and my ineptitude, kiwidave wins a prize from the Gourmet Golfwrx Bag O' Schwag. From now on, I'll provide a Bag O' Schwag award to any loyal reader that correctly identifies a retraction-worthy-mistake. Gourmet Golfwrx will provide one award per mistake and the award will be given to the first reader that correctly identifies it and posts a comment. Keep your eyes peeled because I might toss in some mistakes just to keep you on your toes.
 G.+O.=GO. GO G.O. GO! Gourmet Golfwrx congratulates tournament winner Geoff Ogilvy, an honorable and gracious US Open Champ. What a week! Take a deep breath and let it out sloooowwwwly. Doesn't that make you feel better Phil? At least you still have your $3.4M time-share at The Old Course. Monty? How about you? There are times when we all have technical difficulties, Gourmet Golfwrx included. Phil and Monty should practice the "Big bucks. No whammies." mantra too.
Tiger? How about you? After finishing out of the money last weekend, Tiger could do a little meditating on the "Big bucks. No whammies." mantra. Unfortunately for Tiger and Nike, they were unable to orchestrate their heart-string symphony on Sunday. Regardless, the Nike commercial and plenty of other Father's Day commercials were dove-tailed with the US Open. Gourmet Golfwrx had a pressence in Westchester County last week. Contributing blogger, Walter Dagwood, gave us A Look Inside The Open after his walk through on Tuesday. Anyone notice Vijay switching balls after he putted out on the 72nd hole? Apparently he's testing out a new tour-issued, prototype golden golf ball. I was suprised that only a few people knew what Vijay was doing. The spectators that knew the value of this ball must be Gourmet Golfwrx readers. Once again, we're keeping you ahead of the curve. If you were the lucky recipient of the Golden Golf Ball, Gourmet Golfwrx would like to feature you on our blog. Please contact us through the "golf buzz" link. Stay tuned and keep that bag fresh. -G.Gwrx
The Golden Golf Ball Campaign, in association with Vijay Singh, Cleveland Golf, and Singha Beer (Boon Rawd Brewery), begins this week at the US Open. For the next year, Singh will throw his golf ball into the crowd after the 72nd hole of every golf tournament in which he participates. The spectator that makes the lucky catch will be wisked away for eight days and seven nights in the Kingdom of Thailand. What a great way to bring Barry Bonds-like fanaticism to the game of golf.
The winner and a guest will travel to Bangkok, Koa Samui, and City of Angels. In Koa Samui, the winnners will receive one complete set of Cleveland golf clubs and unlimited golf at Santiburi Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones II. I'm assuming you'll get to drink yourself silly with Singha beer and fully participate in some famous Thai massage. I've heard great things.
 Not to be outdone by Nike, TaylorMade has also launched an advertising campaign for Father's Day. TaylorMade’s “Thanks dad. I am a golfer.” campaign takes a different approach and features many different professionals riffing about their triangular relationship with their dad and golf. It's similar to Nike's approach, but of a slightly different color. TaylorMade gives us personal accounts and insight from the mouths of professional golfers. Since our perceptions of pro golfers are based on tension-filled scenarios within the ropes or on television screens, it's refreshing to see that these golfers are no different than you or me. Neither advertising campaign is better than the other, as they are both successful in surfacing the bonds that we feel with our parents. It's encouraging to see that corporations support their sponsored athletes and their personal lives. However, as consumers, we must all remember that these messages come from purveyors of golf equipment and it is up to the consumer to determine how money is spent. There was plenty of media covering the Dakoda Dowd story as it loosely coincided with Mother’s Day. However, I don’t recall too many golf advertising campaigns attempting to capitalize on our relationships with our mothers. I’m interested to see if this becomes a worthy subject for advertising dollars, as women continue to build their presence in the golf industry.
With its figurative winged feet, Gourmet Golfwrx is everywhere. Walter Dagwood, a G.Gwrx contributing editor, made his way around the course for Tuesday's practice round and brings us an exclusive look behind the scenes at this year's U.S. Open Championship. Dagwood is no stranger to New York and is widely known for his cosmopolitan and golfaholic tendencies. Interested in seeing more of Dagwood? Let us know in the comments. Enjoy! A Look Inside The Open by: Walter Dagwood 6/13/2006 Commentary on 'The Grounds'
The site of the US Open 2006 is a venue requiring the test of skill, patience and risk/reward. To no surprise, the USGA has taken a historic course, and through the redevelopment of Tom Fazio, and the characteristics of the Association, they have tweaked and modified the course to represent the very challenge indicative of its reputation.
This is my first PGA event in 15 years and my impressions are much different this year than when I was a 12 year old boy who never picked up a stick before. At an age when everything in life is
impressionable, the enormity of professional golfers tackling 400 yrd. par 4's seemed nearly impossible. Certainly the size of the course has grown, yet so have I.
To my surprise, my initial look at the course did not seem difficult. I walked the holes in order, followed a few groups of favorites and watched the Pro's attack the greens from various lengths and angles. As I stood at tee boxes visualizing holes or walking across fairways imagining my approach, I didn't feel the discomfort of being unmatched to a Major Championship course. But it was best once said, "The Devil is in the Details." And I suppose that's just what makes the US Open
so difficult.
ITS NOT WHAT YOU GOT AS MUCH AS WHERE YOU PUT IT
Yes, tees are lengthened and even a few holes are damn near impossible to get to in regulation. (Note: The 260 par 3 3rd or the 514 par 4 9th). But theres also a 162 yrd Par 3 which seemed, at first glance, attackable. Most holes dog leg (either left or right) yet unlike "tight" courses (lots of trees or 'jail' off the fairways), the trees don't seem to come into play too much. Oddly enough though, from the tips, it doesn't feel tight. But again, that's the mistake most players will make. If you let it out even a little, it will be costly. With the new USGA strategy "graduate rough" missing the fairway is all you need to make critical contention making mistakes.
BUSHWHACKED IN THE ROUGH
 On the first hole I watched Vijay, Muthiya, and T. Armour III all attempt shots from the rough. (The first cut is comparable to average rough on your home course). Two more cuts in and you cant even see the ball let alone players shoe tops. Not one of them was able to get to the green from 165 out. Vijay tried a rescue club, but opted to aim 30+ yrds in front of the green. David Howell also played a few shots from the rough on the back nine, none of which successfully made it. The end result was to take your 'penalty' and throw a 8/9/W on the ball and pull it out of the rough and 100 yrds. (approx) down the fairway. At least from what I saw, it would take a feat of super-human strength to get home in two from the rough...and even then you probably aren't going to be happy.
LIKE A GLOVE
If the first trick is getting in the fairway, and the second staying out of the rough, then the third is Proximity to the Hole. The one advantage these players have is that most greens roll from back to
front. Furthermore, most greens are elevated a few feet off the ground, so it almost looks like pro's throwing lawn darts into the green. However, most greens are guarded with bunkers (mostly frontside) and there is heavy rough on the mid green and in back. Its tricky because you have to carry the bunkers in the front, but you have to be straight so that the ball can spin back. If you can do that, you can ACTUALLY score. But again, you can only get that approach if you are in the fairway!
SNEAKY SNEAKY
I suppose what makes the course most interesting is the difficulty of the greens. Its hard to gauge a green when you don't stand on it or get to putt a few. Plus, from the gallery, you are a little further
away than the fairway, so you cant actually see the subtleties. But if there is an advantage to having greens that roll back to front where you can aim long and pull it back, the advantage is lost once you look at birdie putts. Unlike Bethpage (another US Open favorite) there doesn't appear to be any straight putts. Everything will break....and most likely it will be fast. I suspect players fear let a ball roll by the hole, because they are too fast and going downhill, so stopping putts will be tough. I guess that means that the players wont be too aggressive with birdie putts.
STAT WORTHY NOTICE I believe that the Stat that can win the US Open is the 'Total Driving' category. Total Driving is the combination of distance rank and accuracy rank. My choice is not to take anything away from Greens in Regulation or Putts per round....both very important. But this course matters most when you are long off the tee and deathly accurate. Only 10 of the top 20 Tour Leaders in this category are competing this week...see anybody you know? CONTENDERS AND PRETENDERS Obvious choices would include the big 5. In fact, I believe there are only a handful of players who can win the major. But its worth noting some also-rans that could make noise of Champagne popping or a pig squealing. CONTENDERS Adam Scott- Scooter is long, he's a sniper and he's literally on fire. Some of the best golf of his career, this course plays to his strengths. 1st in All-Around on the TOUR I don't believe there is a better golfer out there right now. Plus, with the confidence of last weeks win by the Socceroos, everything seems to be going right down under. DL III- Its been awhile since crowd favorite Davis made a push in a major. With the exception of the Match Play, he hasn't even cracked the top 10 this year. But he is a major contender because of his stats. He's long off the tee, deathly accurate to the greens (which leads to great putting avg.) and under 200yrds. he's 10th in proximity to the hole. Last year he finished 6th and shot 77 on Thursday. There's magic at Winged Foot for DL3. If he can keep it in the fairway, he'll be around Sunday. David Howell- I feel obligated to pick a guy from across the pond. This guys got the best shot to be around on Sunday. He's got great control of his driver, he's the 2nd best putter on tour and 3rd in Birdie Avg. Plus, he played well at the Barclay's last week. And for record, he's the 2nd best Back-Nine scorer. If the rough doesn't beat you emotionally on the front-nine, this guy will on the back. PRETENDERS Fred Couples- Everyone loves Freddy Boom-Boom, but he's a liability off the tee. He's long, I will grant you, but his putter isn't what it use to and there's just no room for error in a US Open. There's no doubt that the Masters sets up better for his game, and he's only finished in the top 10 in the US Open twice in the past 15 years. Sergio Garcia- Same thing goes for Sergio. He can't find the fairway off the tee and it will cost him dearly. For as good a player as he is, I doubt he makes the cut this week. Winged Foot is no place to get on an emotional roller coaster and I suspect he ends up breaking/throwing a club. MY PICK Its hard not to go out of the big 5 because each, in their own way, is a model of consistency...and that's the key to the US Open. Honestly, I have to believe that the Mickelslam is pulling into Mamaroneck. Based on categories mentioned before (6th all around, 18th in Total Driving, 1st in Putt Avg, GIR, Birdie Avg.) its truly hard not to believe he is in total control. 2 drivers control his ability to go left or right and that's perfect for doglegged Winged Foot. He is the number 1 scorer on the Front and Back Nine, so basically it boils down to nerves of steel....and this is Superman. So that's the way I saw it at Winged Foot. It should be a great weekend with less flash and more consistency, but for a purist of the game, it doesn't get any better. "The only way a man can remain consistent amid changing circumstances is to change with them while preserving the same dominating purpose."- Winston Churchill
 This week, Nike will debut a commercial that features Tiger and Earl Woods. Isn't it interesting how this commercial coincides with Father's day and the US Open? The Nike marketing team is clever, no? Apparently the commercial has been in development since Christmas. Tiger's dad had been really sick well before that.
"To dad and fathers everywhere" is the text that ends the commercial. Are these Tiger's words or Nike's words? We'll never know. Is "To dad" a declarative, yet passive way of solidifying American consumer tendencies and our need to display affection and appreciation through gifts? If Tiger could have his dad back, would he immediately buy him something, or choose to spend some time with him?
Nike has stated in press releases that they respect Tiger and his family and would never release the commercial without Tiger's blessing. But, who's in control here? Nike pays Tiger. These days, how much control does Tiger have over the use of his image? Regardless of Tiger's consent, this is a commercial that chooses to exploit our most personal relationships to further build the third largest corporate-generated holiday, behind Valentine's and Mother's Day. By claiming genuine intention, Nike's exploitation just becomes indirect. Tiger has always been public about his relationship with his Dad and if he really wanted to share more of this with the public, he could have paid for some TV time with his own money. Instead, Nike is along for the ride.
Isn't Tiger's return to tournament-golf or his chance to win another US Open enough for Nike marketing? Hasn't he proven himself (2005 Masters) capable of providing the theatrics that can fuel a marketing campaign? Does Nike doubt that Tiger will do something marketable in the next four days? Is Nike making up for the last nine weeks of absence? Is it really appropriate, even with his blessing, to capitalize on intimate human relationships and emotions?
These marketing tactics are used by many companies and I don't have a bone to pick with Nike. All of this is subjective and I have mixed emotions about it. I'll spend time with my dad this weekend and I'll bring him gifts. I'll probably spend some time with these thoughts, hopefully with less cynicism, and draw my own conclusions about why I celebrate Father's Day. I'll determine what's important to me and I guess I have Nike to thank for that. What's important to you? Thanks Dad. See you this weekend.
After six weeks, Gourmet Golfwrx is comfortably settled in the blogosphere and the golf season. It's June and we're gearing up for a great U.S. Open Championship. Here's a look at last week's news. A week ago today, Gourmet Golfwrx stopped by Lake Merced Golf Club to give you a peak behind the Gates of Lake Merced and a preview of U.S. Open talent. We brought back some interesting and contrasting observations of Spencer Levin and Shiwan Kim. Also related to the U.S. Open, Steve Elkington doesn't feel like playing by the rules, refuses to change his shoes, and withdraws from the Houston sectional qualifier. In case you were wondering what rich guys do with old golf carts, Michael Douglas has generously autographed and donated a highly modified golf cart to the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Hurry up and place your bid. There's 3 more days left on the eBay auction and the price is already up to $12,100. Another rich man, Phil Mickelson, has decided to pay $3.4 million for a chunk of time. It just happens that this chunk of time gives him the rights to a penthouse that overlooks The Old Course. Stay tuned and keep that bag fresh. -G.Gwrx
Phil Mickelson has paid $3.4 million for a penthouse at a private club and time-share residence that overlooks the 1st and 18th holes of The Old Course. That small chunk of change buys Phil nine weeks per year, starting in 2008. More importantly, it gives him a place to rest all of his driver heads. The British Open doesn't come back to St. Andrews until 2010.
Now that Phil is winning majors, it looks like he's securing a place to party while he pursues the Mickelslam. All of this seems a bit premature.
"Give me an 'E'! Give me an 'S'! What's it spell...? SPIKES! Goooo Spikes!" Steve Elkington, PGA Champ and purveyor of one of the sweetest swings in golf, withdrew from the U.S. Open Championship sectional qualifier at Lakeside Country Club because he wasn't allowed to wear metal-spiked shoes. He refused to change footwear and the Houston Chronicle reports that he is considering legal action. Steve claims that the spikes are important to him, they're "an integral part of my equipment."
The USGA allows the host course to determine the ruling on footwear. However, Elkington claims that golfers at other qualifying sites, with different policies, may have an unfair advantage. The Texas Golf Blog makes the following point:
"Our man Steve doesn't reason very well - the players at any other qualifying site were playing against each other, not against the golfers at Lakeside. Nobody at Lakeside was at a disadvantage to anybody else in the field ... except for the one who wasn't smart enough to follow the rules he'd been told about and showed up wearing softspikes."
It turns out that Steve signed a document that listed the rules of qualifying at Lakeside, mandating the use of soft spikes. We'll miss you Steve. Better luck next year.
 The Hollywood Business Model: Maximize your superficial features, then sell to the highest bidder. Michael Douglas, an avid golfer, has graciously agreed to donate a golf cart that was made for the Michael Douglas & Friends Presented By Lexus celebrity golf event (phew). What a generous man. Cybergolf was first to break the news.
The golf cart will be auctioned-off to benefit The Motion Picture & Television Fund, one of the entertainment industry's leading non-profit organizations. The golf cart is a 2002 EZ-GO, custom painted bright blue with yellow and orange tribal flames. It is fitted with a unique molded dashboard that features a KVH satellite receiver, bringing DirecTV to a 7-inch flip-down screen in the cart. Also installed are MTX speakers, a DVD player, Tom Tom GPS, a Star Gate mobile tablet PC in the steering wheel, a "blinged" golf ball washer, cigar humidor, electric beer cooling tube and a shoe polisher. The interior was upgraded with brand new premium tuck and roll white leather seats with blue piping, and new chrome wheels. When you're not busy figuring out all the gadgets, you can play some golf too. A new set of Cleveland Clubs and bag are included with the cart. If you're feeling charitable, bid to win. Please, tell Gourmet Golfwrx all about your new purchase.
I walked the fairways of Lake Merced Golf & Country Club yesterday evening and witnessed Alex Coe, Paul Nagle, Michael Derminio, and Taylor Wood make it past the sectional qualifier and into the United States Open Championship. They'll be going to New York, with wings on.  Notable golfers in the field included Spencer Levin, the 13th place finisher at the 2004 US Open, and Sihwan Kim, the 2004 US Jr Champion at nearby Olympic Club. The windy conditions and undulating greens were challenging and caused problems for many of the competitors. I watched Spencer miss a short putt on 18, make the turn, pound his head with his fist, and then obliterate a drive on the first hole. He was smaller than I expected, and the volume was up on Spencer's personality and competitiveness. He was impressive to watch.
The antithesis of Spencer, and equally impressive to watch, was Sihwan Kim. He is one of the tallest and strongest Asian players I've seen in competition, especially next to his miniature caddie with pull-cart in tow. He appeared very calm, measured, and calculated.
Unfortunately, two of the big names did not make it past Daly City. However, the sum of these golfers' ages is less than 40, and they will have many more opportunities to qualify and play.
Other notable qualifiers around the world include Ian Poulter, J.B. Holmes, Camillo Villegas, and Jeff Sluman.
Jay Haas, Jason Gore, Tom Kite, Michelle Wie, Carlos Franco, Notah Begay, Brad Faxon, Joe Ogilvie Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Jesper Parnevik, Trevor Immelman, and Peter Lonard were some of the golfers that failed to qualify.
More details can be found on The Golf Channel website.
 "Show me that smile again. (show me that smile)
Don’t waste another minute on your cryin’.
We're nowhere near the end (nowhere near)
The best is ready to begin. "
The theme for the first month of Gourmet Golfwrx was "Growing Pains" The theme for the second month of Gourmet Golfwrx is "No Whammies." We'll do our best to eliminate the technical difficulties. Some of you may have noticed our constantly changing Web address. This was at the root of our problem and many of you may have encountered errors when trying to access the blog. We've gone from "http://blog.golfwrx.com" to http://gourmet.golfwrx.com" back to "http://blog.golfwrx.com". Rest assured that you'll be able to get your Gourmet Golfwrx fix when you need/want it. We'll stick with the following addresses: http://blog.golfwrx.com
http://www.golfwrx.com/blog Thanks for your patience! -G.Gwrx
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