Vote for Brooke!!!!

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now you know just how proud I am of Brooke Henderson.   She is a star athlete in my eyes and continues to grow with Canada backing her ever move.  My Uncle Mark is a big reason she’s on the short list for inductees for 2015.  Please take the time to vote for her because she has made such an amazing impact on not only the LPGA but Golf Canada.  She is our future so lets get behind her and show her how proud we are of her hard work and dedication.

Brooke Henderson’s standout season on the golf course has her in the running to be named the 2014 Ontario Athlete of the Year.

If the Team Canada member and Smiths Falls, Ont. native is successful in receiving the Syl Apps Award, she will become only the second golfer to receive the honour and the youngest award winner in its 16-year history. The only other golfer to earn the honour is Mike Weir, who received the award in 1999, 2000 and 2003.

Henderson is up against some stiff competition, including Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Russel Martin of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays, Milos Raonic (tennis) Patrick Husbands (horse racing) and Cory Perry of the Anaheim Ducks.

Voting for the award is conducted annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Those eligible to vote include Ontario-based sports writers, broadcasters/personalities with at least 10-years covering sports in this province, members of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Hall’s Advisory Board.

To be eligible for the award, athletes must be born in Ontario or play for an Ontario-based team.  They also must have made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sport during the previous calendar year.

The public is encouraged to vote for their favourite athlete online.  http://www.oshof.ca/ The voting widget is located on the left side of the home page and will be available until December 5, 2014.

Team USA Ryder Cup Board....

 

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games were in one word: Triumphant to us Canadians.  We dominated in our national pastime hockey, curling, skiing, figure skating and more.  This doesn’t happen over night these athletes are handpicked and groomed into champions.  The PGA of America is doing their own “grooming” when it comes to the Ryder Cup failures that were seen this fall.  Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are among the 11 member Ryder Cup Task force that was announced Tuesday to spear head these meetings.  The co-chairs are PGA chief executive Pete Bevacqua and Derek Sprague, next in line to be president of the PGA of America.  

The goal of the task force is to examine all aspects of the Ryder Cup, including selections of captains and players as well as how the week of the competition would play out.  "This is a great step by the PGA to accomplish what we all want -- to win the Ryder Cup," Woods said in a statement issued by the PGA.  The past captains on the committee are Davis Love III (2012), Tom Lehman (2006) and Raymond Floyd (1989). Mickelson and Woods are joined by Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler.  The U.S. has lost six of the past seven Ryder Cups, including a 16½-11½ defeat to Europe two weeks ago in Scotland.  Nine-time Ryder Cup selection Lee Westwood, who went 2-2 in his four matches at Gleneagles, took pride Tuesday in noting on Twitter that the Europeans' victory forced the U.S. into this decision.

You know it and I know it the USA does not like to lose.  They didn’t take to kindle to getting beat by us in Olympic Hockey back to back Olympics they don’t take kindle to losing Ryder Cup after Ryder Cup.  So I say good for them for making changes and inventing a board of members to make changes so they can see some success again.  But the difference between the US and Europe will always be Europe players are friends.  They travel, live and practice together all year round because it makes more sense for them.  The US players are thrust into the limelight and expected to play with guys they hardly know who they have been battling head to head all season. 

Why Take A Lesson???

With the 2014 season coming to an end it is now time to reflect on this past summer.  We all know it was a tough one for not only the golf industry but any summer seasonal industry.  I hope that the time that was spent on the golf course was a positive one and that while we clean our clubs one last time and put them in storage for those of us not lucky enough to go south for the winter we take the time to appreciate how fantastic golf is.   

I hope 2014 was filled of many memories whether they were good ones like a golfers first birdie or the laughs shared when you hit not one but two shots directly into the same pond.  I tell my students all the time golf is the most humbling sport there is, I feel like as soon as we lose focus for that mini second our game has turned its back on us and we find ourselves in big trouble.  

The PGA states the following for when to take lessons:

Does your boomerang slice or sweeping hook have you feeling down? Then it’s time to turn that frown upside down.

Taking golf lessons from a PGA Professional is the single best way to improve your game. The PGA Professional is uniquely skilled at evaluating your game and can help you:

·         Hit the ball longer and straighter

·         Play better on and around the greens

·         Improve your course management skills, and 

·         Make sure your equipment properly fits you

All of this can lead to lower scores and a more fun.

FIND A PGA PROFESSIONAL NEAR YOU

There are three primary types of instruction – private lessons, group lessons and clinics. In a private lesson, you’re the only student working with the PGA Professional. Group lessons may provide a more comfortable learning environment.

If you’re not sure if you’re ready for a lesson, consider attending a golf clinic hosted by a PGA Professional. Golf clinics are typically offered during group golf outings and usually focus on a single topic, such as bunker play, chipping, putting, or the full swing. A big difference between a clinic and a lesson is that during a clinic, you’re watching the PGA Professional explain how he/she would hit certain shots, rather than you actually hitting the shot yourself.

This can also be a non-intimidating way to socialize with other golfers.

In short, if you want to play better golf … take a lesson. Playing better golf will make the game more enjoyable and allow you to experience hitting more shots exactly the way you envision it.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.  I am always looking for way to improve my game.  Please take a moment to go to the Goderich Sunset Website http://www.sunsetgolfclub.com/ and under news feeds select Christmas Voucher to see what I have made up for 2015 Season as a Christmas gift.  If that’s not exactly what you are looking for look under lesson rates as lessons individual or packages can be purchased between now and Christmas and used in the 2015 season.  I look forward to hearing from you.