Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
For a Team Captain, picking players who have not made the team on merit is a daunting task. It’s one of those situations where if the pick plays well, you look like a genius, and if they don’t, you look like an idiot! There have been some picks just like that throughout the years of team play. People tend to frown on choices where the player is a good friend of the captain, but when Tom Watson picked friend Raymond Floyd, Ray played great and made Tom look good. Poor Lanny Watkins got all sorts of criticism when Curtis Strange lost all his matches after Lanny picked his buddy in 1995! Thanks to Alex Myers of Golf Digest for putting this interesting list together. We all love the Ryder, Presidents, and Solheim Cup matches, and some of these pictures brought back great memories, even in the years the USA lost!
The Good The Bad and The Ugly in Captain’s Picks!
Davis Love III’s selections (so far) have been pretty conventional, but that hasn’t always been the case with captain’s picks through the years.
Raymond Floyd (1993 Ryder Cup)
Tom Watson tabbed Floyd, 51, as the oldest captain’s pick in Ryder Cup history. The wily vet justified the selection by going 3-1 and helping lead the U.S. to a one-point win at The Belfry.
Cannon/Getty Images)
Curtis Strange (1995 Ryder Cup)
Fellow former Wake Forest golfer Lanny Wadkins picked Strange for the team despite Strange not having won a PGA Tour event in more than six years. The move backfired as Strange went 0-3 at Oak Hill and the U.S. lost by a point, which better explains his pose in this photo.
Paul Azinger (2000 Presidents Cup)
Despite being 24th in the Presidents Cup standings, Azinger was picked by Ken Venturi. “He’s a leader, he’s a team man, he’s a wonderful match player,” Venturi said. “I feel this could be his swan song, and I’ll get more than 100 percent from him.” Azinger went 1-2, but the U.S. won easily. Of course, he proved that leadership at the 2008 Ryder Cup as the U.S. captain.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
One HUGE thing the average male golfer can learn from watching the LPGA stars play the game is how easy they swing and yet hit the ball a fair distance.
Certainly longer than the average male golfer. When you swing in rhythm, your body relaxes, and the muscles move faster. Your grip pressure lightens, you get more lag on the club, and usually, your balance will be better as well. Next time you have a chance to watch the LPGA, do it!
Easy Does It is the name of the golf game I want you to try and play today…
‘The first time I grabbed a golf club, I knew that I’d do it for the rest of my life’
Michelle Wie
This week I want to look at the ladies game. Lydia Ko, the young phenomenon from New Zealand, has just won the fifth and final major of the ladies calendar, The Evian Championship. To add to this the Solheim Cup, the ladies equivalent of the Ryder Cup, starts this week so let’s strike while the iron is hot and talk ladies golf.
In my opinion there is a great deal that can be learned from watching the world’s greatest female golfers plying their trade.
There is a distinct difference between ladies and gents golf and this is always most evident when watching these athletes from the tee.
Players on the LPGA and LET rarely try to kill their drives, and they hit more fairways and greens.
Watch ladies golf and you will see relaxed fluid swings with great tempo. Now don’t get me wrong, watching Rory or Bubba bomb one over 400-yards is incredible however this is a different thing altogether.
Here you’re seeing an emphasis on hitting fairways rather than gaining distance.
For example the leading driving accuracy on the PGA Tour is 76.88% (Francesco Molinari) whilst on the LPGA it’s 89% (Mo Martin). The same trend holds true on the European counterparts.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The USA won the 2015 Solheim Cup with a historic comeback.
It arose in part by the hot-button moment where Alison Lee thought her putt was given! As most of you now know, Alison was left with an 18-inch putt on the 17th hole, and when she saw opponents Charley Hull and Suzann Pettersen turn their backs and walk away, she picked up the putt. Pettersen quickly said that they did not concede the putt, and in the ensuing brouhaha, the USA lost the hole and that particular match.
Pettersen was technically correct but exhibited poor sportsmanship.
It took until the following day for Pettersen to reflect and offer a heartfelt apology where she said that she got lost in the heat of the battle, etc. What else did she say in what I feel is the best-worded apology I’ve ever heard of, in any sport?
Suzann Pettersen apologizes for her part in the Solheim Cup controversy
Suzann Pettersen, shown at the 2015 Solheim Cup ( Getty Images )
Pettersen had a change of heart Monday morning, apologizing for her actions at the 2015 Solheim Cup that sparked a controversy and may have fueled a historic U.S. comeback victory.
Pettersen posted an apology to her Instagram account Monday morning. Here is a sample of the post:
“I’ve never felt more gutted and truly sad about what went down Sunday on the 17th at the Solheim Cup. The big picture got lost in the heat of the moment and I am so sorry. I was trying my hardest for my team and put the single match and the point we could earn ahead of sportsmanship and the game of golf itself! I feel like I let my team down and I am sorry.
“In time I hope the U.S. team will forgive me and know that I have learned a valuable lesson about what is truly important in this great game of golf which has given me so much in my life.”
Pettersen did not apologise after the match, saying: “With the putt she had left, I would still like to see it. If she had the putt to win the cup, I would still like to see it.”
2 Songs Commemorate this week’s Solheim Cup – Let’s dance!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Getting amped up for the Solheim Cup? This will be an exciting week.
All golfers can learn a lot from how these ladies play. Watch their focus, watch their determination, and watch their great tempo in the way they swing the club. Amateur golfers can learn a lot just watching these LPGA stars compete! To get you in the mood, Alex Myers of Golf Digest has come up with some really great videos. Doesn’t matter which team you support; we have one for both of you! Enjoy!
OK readers, this one is just for fun. A Swedish group has put together a very catchy tune for the Solheim Cup, and the accompanying video shows why we all love this tournament.
I must admit, when I heard that a Swedish pop group had created a song to commemorate this week’s Solheim Cup in Germany, I thought of one thing: Ace of Base.
When I was a sixth-grader, Ace of Base was all the rage. I must have almost worn out my cassette tape of their big album listening to “The Sign” so many times.
Hmm. It might be time to take a little trip to iTunes. . . sorry, getting carried away.
Anyway, there’s a new song, “Unforgettable,” about the Solheim Cup and it’s not by Ace of Base, but rather a group called Trinity. And if you’re a big fan of the biennial event — especially on the European side — watching the music video should get you pretty pumped up about this week.
And a reminder: If you’re looking for a Solheim Cup song with more of a patriotic vibe, there’s Tiffany Joh’s “Solheim Cup”:
Who Will Win the Solheim Cup – Don’t Miss This Week!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The Solheim Cup is the biggest and most exciting event in women’s golf.
From September 18-20, 2015, Europe’s Top 8 players go head-to-head against America’s 8 best at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club in Germany. This biennial event has been won 8 times by the USA and five times by Europe.
I can tell you that I’ve watched this tournament on TV since it began in Orlando, FL in 1990.
Besides the Ryder Cup, there is no male golfing event that equals the level of excitement and drama that the Solheim Cup provides.
Can’t wait to see Wie, Creamer, Lewis, etc., led by Julie Inkster facing feisty and talented players like Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull led by Carin Koch. It will be quite a battle going into the Cup’s fifteenth anniversary.
Emotions of the 2013Solheim Cup in Colorado.
Amazing video that takes up anticipation for The 2015Solheim Cup in St. Leon-Rot, Germany!!!
BIG Anniversary for the Solheim Cup – Guess how many years?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The Solheim Cup is the biggest and most exciting event in women’s golf.
The top 8 female players from the USA compete against the top 8 from Europe, biennially. From September 18 to 20, 2015, the tournament will be held in Germany at St.Leon-Rot Golf Club near Heidelberg. 2015 is the 25th Anniversary of this very popular event that was first staged in November 1990 at Lake Nona in Orlando, FL.
Europe has won it 5 times, and the USA has been the victor 8 times. Even if you can’t travel to Germany, you absolutely must watch the Solheim Cup on TV. I have never seen the level of excitement or drama in any male golfing event (other than the Ryder Cup) compared to this woman’s tournament.
The face-painting (yes, the players…..not just the fans), the jumping and rallying cries are terrific, but it’s the level of golf that is truly compelling.
To see the real emotions of the match, watch this video produced by solheimcup.de
#1 in our series “My Best Shot Ever” by Suzann Pettersen.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Norwegian golfing superstar Suzann Pettersen talks us through her addition to our ‘My Best Shot’ series, which comes from the 2003 Solheim Cup.
Here is a new “Series” that I will be doing at least once a week. “My Best Shot” is published by Golfing World, and it is a pleasure to share the insights of the best players in the game.
