A lot has happened in golf since the unknown South African took the Claret Jug last month.  For instance, another 59 from Stuart Appleby at the Greenbriar and Hunter Mahan wins at Firestone after an overhaul from swing coach Sean Foley.  On the other hand, Tiger’s performance at Firestone results in a second.  Second to last actually!  Think about that.  The man has won there a whopping 7 times and he finishes in second to last place?  Wow.  Not what he was looking for the week before a major or any time for that matter.

That’s all yesterday though.  All that should matter for these guys now is the 2010 PGA Championship at the amazing Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI.  And wouldn’t you know it, but guess who joined Mr. You Know Who on the back nine during Tuesday’s practice round?  Hank?  Nope.  Butch?  Nope.  Wait, not Mr. Pelz?  No sir.  It’s Mahan’s guy Sean Foley.  As Woods’ life is  starting to “normalize”, we head into Glory’s Last Shot with Tiger hinting at the possibility of seeking some outside swing advise.  That could certainly go both ways.  One swing tweak here or there could unleash the Tiger we’re used to seeing.  Long with a premium on accuracy, putts holed at times that make the rest of the field shake their heads and another Sunday afternoon red shirt and trophy in hand photo op.   Who knows though.  He could continue to struggle like the rest of mortal man.  If that’s the case, keep fighting the good fight Tiger.  Probably the only thing we hackers have in common with the man is that we’ve all had a head scratcher of a golf game from time to time.  Equally cruel though, the game clearly doesn’t care if one plays golf as a professional or not.

Given how 2010 has gone Major-wise, how fitting is it that this years last major is held at such a dramatic and unique venue.  Whistling Straits will put every player to the test with its 7,500 yards of rolling fairways, huge greens, grassy (unplayable) dunes, and pot bunkers.  As an added touch, course designers Pete and Alice Dye were kind enough to import a small herd of Scottish Blackface Sheep.  Awfully thoughtful if you ask me.  Then there’s the fact that it’s stretched along almost 2 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.  Better bring your wind game folks, Lake Michigan is not your ordinary lake.

That brings us to our picks.  Without hesitation, we think of Phil.  It’s silly not to expect the left-handed genius to do well here.  If he’s hitting fairways, he’ll be a factor.  The bent grass greens are huge and fast.  That could also play into the likes of say a Retief Goosen.  He’s been quietly playing very solid golf and has two majors that prove he has the meddle.  What about Sergio?  Could the 2 month break announcement uncover the reckless abandon attitude instead of the more somber one we’ve seen as of late?  Doubtful indeed but a possibility.  Maybe Stricker will strike it big with his first Major victory.  Lord knows he has the game and for sentimental good measure, he is from Wisconsin after all.

Wouldn’t that be the icing on the major cake.  Phil wins the Masters amid the irony of his wife’s cancer and Tiger’s epic fall.  Then, two relatively unknown players win the US Open and Open Championship.  Seriously, who really picked Graeme McDowell let alone Louis Oosthuizen respectively (and respectfully for that matter)?  What a great story it would make if the always humble Steve Stricker passed through Whistling Straits a major winner.

Not only would it be a great story, there’s that whole world ranking thing too.  Both Stricker and Mickelson have a real shot at becoming the world’s #1 player with a win in WI.

Come Sunday, we could have some really major changes in the professional golf landscape.

Give me five! Up high. On the side. Down low, too slow!

We all recognize the phrase and have played the game sometime in our life. Either as a child hoping to have quicker reflexes then dad or as a college prank, where the end result is something less innocent. But what does a website that sells brand name sports gear have to do with any of this?

No, we did not name our website www.downlowtooslow.com because the site is about hand gestures and no it’s not because two grown men were playing this game while the business idea occurred to them and thought it would be hip and cool. As a matter a fact, we’re not really sure where it came from, but somehow it works and makes sense. For those of you new in town, we’ll explain later.

How did it start?

At the time, we were two upper management co-workers and friends who worked in the sporting goods industry. One day while visiting one of our favorite “Deal A Day” websites, it occurred to us that there was not a deal a day site dedicated to brand name sporting goods.

Building an ecommerce site was an appealing idea and one that was sporting goods related was even better since we are sports fans. Plus with our connections, we were able to get products at closeout  prices. So, with some careful planning, the right connections and after a few beers, we launched www.downlowtooslow.com in December of 2009.

Seven months later, thanks to our fans, word is getting out. Our product selection with discounts up to 70% off, continues to change each day and we currently offer top brand name sporting goods from Wilson, adidas, Nike Golf, Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and Mizuno to name a few.

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While we were 1/4 right in our 2010 Open Picks, Louis Oosthuizen (WUHST’-hy-zen if you wondering) practically lapped the field when it mattered most.  Like our pick Rory McIlroy said after assuming the 1st round lead with a blistering 63, “it doesn’t do much good to lead the tournament on Thursday.  What matters is having the lead on Sunday afternoon”.

The cool 27 year old Oosthuizen from South Africa took that lead with 48 holes to play and is now the Champion Golfer of the Year.

With the Claret Jug in hand, he wished Nelson Mandela a happy birthday and thanked fellow countryman Ernie Els for inspiration and some obviously quality teaching.  Oosthuizen never let anyone get within three shots during the final round.  Driving the ball long and straight made for a pretty stress free final stroll over the historic fairways of The Old Course at St. Andrews.  Englishman Paul Casey had a small window of opportunity on 12 but it was not to be.  In fact, the polar opposite occurred.  Casey drives the ball in to the gorse, takes an unplayable, hits a below average shot right of the green and takes triple.  Oosthuizen?  Perfect drive, solid pitch and drains about a 12 footer for birdie.  Pretty much game, set, match at that point.  Especially after an eagle to Casey’s birdie on the par-4 9th.

“I came in playing well and I just tried to stay steady,” he said after the victory. “To win the Open championship is special, but to do it at St. Andrews, I can just cherish this forever.”

That’s an understatement.  Dominating a truly international field at the home of golf must feel pretty darned good.  13 strokes better than the world’s number one player Tiger Woods.  17 strokes better than the worlds number 2 player Phil Mickelson.  Impressive stuff.

With a look bordering on amazement, Oosthuizen’s sheepish Shrek like grin (his buddies call him Shrek because of the gap in the front teeth) is one of the lasting images we’ll take from the 2010 Open.

With that said, we’d be silly not to acknowledge an equally indelible image.  Mr. Tom Watson standing on the Swilcan bridge during his final competitive round at The Old Course.  A quick kiss to the bridge shows how much the man respects and loves the game and it’s home.  What followed was about a 90 second moment of reflection and possibly reluctant acceptance of the ones limitations.  This really would be his last walk over the Swilcan bridge as a competitor.

Not a dry eye in sight from this goodbye of sorts, the one and only Tom Watson proceeds to nearly hole his eagle pitch!  Stopping literally millimeters from the cup, Mr. Watson humbly says “I pulled it just an inch.” For the umpteeth time in his career, he shows the world that he is the ultimate in class.  A true role model, a living legend and a man that is loved just as much as he loves the game.

Congratulations to Mr. Louis Ooosthuizen.  At only 27 years old, he on the other hand will have the opportunity to take a few more strolls over the Swilcan Bridge.

Here at DownLowTooSlow.com, we love to display our vast knowledge of all that is golf.  What better time to do just that than on the eve of one of golf’s most cherished and historical events?  None.  Like they say, no better than the present.

Given that the event is at the very home of golf – The Old Course at St. Andrews, it’s tough not be sentimental and pick (hope) that guys like Watson or even Colin Montgomery make a run.  However, as the forgotten champion Stewart Cink proved, you have to go with logic over sentiment.

Potential Winners:

Rory McIlroy?

• With his first PGA Tour win at the Quail Hollow Championship, Rory is on the cusp of greatness.  He loves St. Andrews and has played well there in the past.  With an early tee time on Thursday and paired with Lucas Glover and Tim Clark, Rory will get off to a great start and keep the momentum going through Sunday.

Tiger Woods?

• Look at his finishes at The Masters and the US Open this year.  Fourth place in both and that was with his C- game.  The Old Course is about a par 68 for Tiger (and quite a few others – Dustin Johnson anyone) which after winning the Claret Jug three times and twice at St. Andrews, he should be able to contend in his sleep.  Two major variables though.  Tiger finally made the switch to a Nike Method putter!  After almost 10 years of holding on to his cherished Scotty Cameron, “slower than usual” greens at St. Andrews warrent’s the flat stick change.  That’s a whole different discussion as to how much Nike paid him, how badly does he need the cash and if it is in fact a “speed” issue.  We’ll leave that one alone for now.  Second variable?  The personal trials.  Getting absolutely grilled by the British media, going through what has to be an extremely costly divorce (both literally and mentally) has to be tough.  He’s proved he the toughest mentally but this is a whole new level of stress.

Lee Westwood?

• One reason – this guy is a big event player and always plays well in the big ones.  No he hasn’t won one yet but the law of averages is on Lee’s side.  Keep putting yourself in contention and it’s bound to happen.  No reason St. Andrews won’t be the place leave the monkey behind.

Ernie Els?

• One greatest links players of the modern generation even if he is on the tale end of said group.  He already has one Open victory and finished T-2 at St. Andrews back in ‘02.

Justin Rose?

• Clearly the hottest player on the planet right now.  Two wins in the last month and it should have been three.  He’s as confident as he’ll ever be, he’s hitting the ball a mile and knows how to play links golf.  Pretty good combination.

Chris Wood?

• Who?  Chris Wood.  You know, that lanky European that could use some of Ian Poulter’s hair gel?  He’s the guy that finished 3rd at Turnberry in ‘09.  He loves and we mean loves The Open and really loves St. Andrews and his European Tour record this year includes 5 top 15’s.

There you have it.   Now it’s time to those of us on the other side of the pond to set the coffee pot to early, grab some breakfast grub and sit back and see what Mother Nature has in store for the 2010 Open Championship.  We could have rain, wind, clouds, cold and/or sunshine and that’s just during the front nine on Thursday!

It’s going to be a great weekend.

Original post 6/29/2010 6:51 PM ET By FanHouse Staff
The 2010 MLB All-Star team rosters have been announced.

The announced rosters feature eight non-pitching starters in the National League and nine in the American League elected by the fans as well as 25 and 24 reserves, respectively, selected by a combination of players’ ballots and the managers — Joe Girardi (AL) and Charlie Manuel (NL).

Fans now have the opportunity to elect the 34th and final player on each roster in each league in an Internet vote, choosing amongst five prospective candidates. In the NL, those candidates are Padres pitcher Heath Bell, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, Reds first baseman Joey Votto, Braves pitcher Billy Wagner and Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. In the AL, they are White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, Twins outfielder Delmon Young, Rangers third baseman Michael Young and Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

A number of changes have been made to roster rules this year:

• An additional player will be selected in each league, raising the roster size from 33 to 34

• The designated hitter will be used, regardless of the site of the game.

• Pitchers who start on the final Sunday before the All-Star break will be replaced on the roster.

• Managers will designate a position player on each roster who can re-enter the game after he’s been removed.

Come back after Sunday to find out the latest tweaks to the roster.


AL Starters

Pos
Player

C
Joe Mauer, MIN

1B
Justin Morneau, MIN

2B
Robinson Cano, NYY

SS
Derek Jeter, NYY

3B
Evan Longoria, TB

OF
Josh Hamilton, TEX

OF
Ichiro Suzuki, SEA

OF
Carl Crawford, TB

DH
Vladimir Guerrero, TEX

AL Pitchers

Pos
Player

P
Clay Buchholz, BOS*

P
Trevor Cahill, OAK

P
Fausto Carmona, CLE

P
Neftali Feliz, TEX

P
Phil Hughes, NYY

P
Cliff Lee, SEA

P
Jon Lester, BOS

P
Andy Pettitte, NYY****

P
David Price, TB

P
Mariano Rivera, NYY

P
CC Sabathia, NYY

P
Joakim Soria, KC

P
Matt Thornton, CWS

P
Jose Valverde, DET

AL Reserves

Pos
Player

C
John Buck, TOR**

C
Victor Martinez, BOS*

1B
Miguel Cabrera, DET

2B
Dustin Pedroia, BOS*

2B
Ian Kinsler, TEX***

2B
Ty Wigginton, BAL

SS
Elvis Andrus, TEX

3B
Adrian Beltre, BOS

3B
Alex Rodriguez, NYY

OF
Jose Bautista, TOR

OF
Torii Hunter, LAA

OF
Vernon Wells, TOR

DH
David Ortiz, BOS

NL Starters

Pos
Player

C
Yadier Molina, STL

1B
Albert Pujols, STL

2B
Chase Utley, PHI+

SS
Hanley Ramirez, FLA

3B
David Wright, NYM

OF
Ryan Braun, MIL

OF
Andre Ethier, LAD

OF
Jason Heyward, ATL

NL Pitchers

Pos
Player

P
Jonathan Broxton, LAD

P
Matt Capps, WAS

P
Chris Carpenter, STL

P
Yovani Gallardo, MIL

P
Roy Halladay, PHI

P
Tim Hudson, ATL

P
Ubaldo Jimenez, COL

P
Josh Johnson, FLA

P
Tim Lincecum, SF

P
Evan Meek, PIT

P
Arthur Rhodes, CIN

P
Adam Wainwright, STL

P
Brian Wilson, SF

NL Reserves

Pos
Player

C
Brian McCann, ATL

1B
Adrian Gonzalez, SD

1B
Ryan Howard, PHI

2B
Brandon Phillips, CIN

2B
Martin Prado, ATL++

SS
Jose Reyes, NYM+++

SS
Troy Tulowitzki, COL*

3B
Omar Infante, ATL

3B
Scott Rolen, CIN

OF
Michael Bourn, HOU

OF
Marlon Byrd, CHC

OF
Corey Hart, MIL

OF
Matt Holliday, STL

OF
Chris Young, ARI

Wow.  Pebble was playing tough!  Tour pros were hitting lob wedges to peashooter par 3’s and having trouble holding the green.  Wiry rough that swallowed up many wayward shots.  Then there’s that whole Pacific Ocean issue.  Sincere congrats to Graeme McDowell.  He came out on top after Dustin Johnson’s Saturday charge and Gregory Havret’s late Sunday consistency.

Even with all the pre-tournament hype about Tiger’s 2000 US Open dominating masterpiece that was way under par, there’s still the usual discussions about how boring it is to watch all these great players play for pars and bogeys.  Claiming it’s equal parts luck and skill in making birdies, I actually enjoy watching the the worlds best play in tough US Open conditions.  Not that I’m looking for a train wreck, but it tends to level the playing field.  As Havret almost proved, anyone can win the US Open.

As for the final round, who would have guessed that “stupid long” Dustin Johnson would have shot an 82.  Seriously, a +11, 42/40 for an 82!!!  A heartbreaking +6 through the first 5 holes!  Sure, a collapse is a collapse but c’mon.  To have a day like that (note: worst final round by a 54 hole leader since 1911!), at the US Open.  That has to sting big time.

Gregory Havret?

Who?

Not Phil, Ernie, Westwood, Love or Tiger but Havret?

Havret’s performance on Sunday was just as surprising as was Dustin’s collapse.  The Frenchman came into the event as the last qualifier (John Daly story in the making?), with a world ranking of 391.  Playing in the second to last group with Woods, the two polar opposites played polar opposite rounds.  Woods was erratic and irritable while Havret was consistent and unflappable leading to a putt on 18 to tie McDowell.

It was not to be though as Norther Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was about to become the first European to win the US Open in 40 years.

Mr. Graeme McDowell.  Please report to The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales in October for the 2010 Ryder Cup.  Captain Montgomery would like to show you where your locker is.

Tour-milled grooves for shot-stopping spin from precise distances are cut into each new Wilson Staff® Tw9™ wedge.
New, lower-lofted cavity back options bridge the gap between the modern pitiching wedge and the sand wedge, for improved gapping.
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Wilson Staff’s Tw9 Tour Milled wedges were among the clubs used by 2-time major champion Padraig Harrington to clinch the 2008 British Open and 2008 PGA Championship, marking the 60th and 61st major championship won with Wilson Staff irons and the 81st and 82nd won with Wilson wedges.

LPGA player Erica Blasberg – found dead in her home in Henderson, NV on Sunday, May 9, 2010.

News like this has a sadly powerful way of refreshing our views on life and how quickly everything can change.  As a fan of Erica’s and the LPGA, this is a terribly sad story and a big loss for the tour.

On the course, Blasberg was an excellent ball striker with a swing that she learned from her father.  Although she never made a major impact on the tour, she had a very respectable golf game.  Anyone that can shoot a 64 in a tour event has game.  Good enough of a game to land sponsorship deals with Puma, Cleveland Golf and Casio.  Sounds like a 25 year old on her way to bigger and better things to me.

Irene Cho, who played junior golf with Erica in Southern California described her as a ‘goofball’ and a ‘typical blond California girl’.  It’s ironic that a ‘typical California girl’ earned the nickname Skip after her collegiate coach’s choice of warm up exercises.  As the coach instructed his team to skip around a track, he inadvertantly learned that Erica…..didn’t know how to skip.  The name stuck and Erica was now Skip.

Instead of sharing similar stories and laughing together, Cho is now trying focus on her golf game at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in Mobile, AL while memorializing and honoring her friend.  That has to be tough.  In fact, the entire field wore purple ribbons on their caps during Thursday’s opening round.  A small yet nice tribute to their fellow LPGA player.

As speculation about the cause of death continues, we will keep Erica and her family in our thoughts and prayers.  The LPGA is a strong tour that’s absolutely loaded with young talent.  Unfortunately, we’ll never know where Erica could have taken her game.

RIP Skip – you will be missed.

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