Congratulations, Tiger!

I'm sure Tiger's victory at the Open today is the sweetest of all. The focus, determination, and pressure were all released in the arms of Stevie and his wife.

Death of a parent, I've thankfully not experienced. Tiger and Chris have shown that although their loved one is gone from this life, they continue to inspire and instill in their children the desire to do well and make their parent proud!

Congratulations to Tiger and Chris!!

Played Medinah and Still on a High

On Monday night, I provided a business golf presentation to 60 executive women from the Chicago area at Medinah Country Club. It was a great event with women who've never played becoming enthusiastic to learn golf and experienced golfers ready to hit the links. I told them I felt like a kid in a candy store because I was playing Medinah's Course #3 the next morning with the General Manager and a board member.

With the two caddies and my playing partners, I took the advice that I often give to women business golfers, and decided to hit off the same tees as the gents. It meant playing off of the silver tees, which is 7009 yards and a slope of 147 for men. I have to ask for help to calculate the slope for me, but I have a pretty good idea that it's going to be high. For the ladies off the white tees, it's 6728 and a slope of 146. 149 or 150 for me wouldn't be surprising.

As I walked down the first fairway, I was in awe of the carpet-like fairways. I made the mistake of hitting my second shot in the rough and had to contend with getting out of 4 1/2" rough. Needless to say, I used the 7-iron quiet often during the day to get out of the tall stuff.

I stood by the tree where Sergio hit his famous slice onto the green in the 1999 PGA Championship. I saw the height of the collection area on 12, which is an incredible hole that Rees Jones found nothing to change. I stood at the tip of the 13th hole to take a picture of the 224-yard signature hole across water. When we reached 17, the gents suggested that I hit off of the white tee and I took their advice. I ripped my driver onto the green 8' behind the flagstick into the rough. After a weak putt through the fringe, I sank my par putt and celebrated.

I'll be honest, the course ate me up and I shot 106. My playing partners were kind and said that it was respectable considering my first time, near Major conditions, and playing a set of rental clubs. But, it's one day I didn't really care about my score. I was thrilled to be at the course where Tiger, Sergio, Retief, Ernie, and the golfers of their ilk have played.

Most importantly, my playing partners were gentlemen of the kind that I sadly don't meet often. It will be a day of golf that I'll not forget and I can't wait to watch the Championship in August!

Hindsight Not 20-20 for Mickelson's Caddie

Nicklaus, Watson, and others have all questioned Phil's poor club and shot selection on the 18th hole. Mickelson's caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, a single-digit golfer himself, felt compelled to defend his boss today.

He stated that there was never a question about using the driver on 18. They knew how each player ahead of them was scoring. He then says, ""So we knew that 4-over was going to win the tournament, and Phil was not playing for a tie."

And therein lies the problem. Neither Phil nor Bones thought to play for a tie when they're near the corporate tents with trees in front of them. Hence, they played for the most embarassing lost in the U.S. Open thus far.

It's just hard to feel sorry for the guy when he thinks that way.

Mickelson Muffs Again!

On the 71st hole of the U.S. Open, Mickelson with a one shot lead pulls his driver out on the 18th tee. It would be okay if Mickelson was hitting it well, but instead he had hit only 2 out of 14 fairways all day. He sprays it left onto the corporate tent and tries two miraculous shots only to double bogey the 18th and lose the U.S. Open.

I try to like Phil...he smiles all of the time, which actually can be annoying and makes him look like a dufus, he has a nice appearing family, and he even said, "Good morning!" to my Mom when he was at the AT&T two years ago.

But his course management skills can be horrendous. It feels almost too risky to cheer for him because you never know what incredibly stupid thing he's going to do. I don't mind a guy being human and making a poor shot. He, however, makes poor decisions and then loses tournaments that he should have won.

I wonder how he'd be as a CEO of a company. I fear he'd have some huge wins and huge loses that a company probably could not survive his decision-making. Even with an ever presence of brains around him from Rick Smith, Dave Pelz, his caddie, and I'm sure a sports psychologist, they've not taught him how to play smart and win the tournaments that will forever haunt him because he lost them.

LPGA Championship & Calling a Penalty

I'm watching the sudden death playoff between Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak. The latter just hit a beautiful second shot to inches from the hole. An awesome shot as she swung 65 feet behind Webb's drive! It's nice to see Pak's comeback after taking a break because she had started to hate the game.

I watched with anticipation Michelle Wie's attempt to win her first professional tournament. For some reason, I have a protective attitude toward her. She just failed to qualify for the Men's U.S. Open earlier in the week and then attempted to win in a major against the gals. Unlike any other professional that I watch, it's just hard to watch her disappointment. She has the opportunities, but hasn't shown the killer instinct a la Tiger yet. I anxiously await to see that develop in her.

Did you hear about Karrie Webb calling a penalty against Annika yesterday? Annika was removing a couple pieces of a divot before she hit, and Karrie called her on it. In a business golf round should you call a penalty against your client? My suggestion is that you not call a penalty against a client. Your client may be a new golfer and not know the rules yet. Or, your client is focusing on developing a business relationship with you and isn't as cognizant as the rules as he or she should be.

A caveat: If you and your client are playing in a tournament, then you need to call the penalty. You wouldn't want your foursome to win a tournament knowing one of you cheated. Handle it with finesse, so your client isn't embarrassed or humiliated. You'll keep your integrity and maintain your business relationship.

Interesting Math

Tiger Woods was in Arkansas for a children's golf clinic and he was asked about playing golf with Bill Clinton. Tiger's response, "Interesting math."

According to Woods, Clinton hits his first drive into the bushes. Then, he hits a second drive down the middle of the fairway. He then hits his wedge shot six to seven feet by the pin. And, then picks up his "gimme" putt.

Meanwhile Tiger hits a nice drive, but hits his wedge shot twelve feet past the pin. Tiger takes two putts to finish out the hole.

Back at the cart, Clinton writes down the scores: Woods -- 4, Clinton -- 3.

Golf is such an invaluable business tool because it is a true revealer of character and integrity. Tiger's encounter with Clinton on the golf course shouldn't surprise anyone.

Golf Club Leasing

An entrepreneur has applied his B-School education to the game of golf. After purchasing a new set of clubs every year or two, Damian Novak wondered if he could lease golf clubs like one leases cars. He founded Top Swing Leasing (www.topswingleasing.com) two years ago and has about 250 sets of clubs out on leases.

When you check out at Top Swing Leasing you simply pay one month's lease payment. The term of the lease will be 12 or 18 months with the option to buy out your contract, exchange for new clubs, or simply send back your clubs with no further obligation. If you opt to pay the lease up front, you'll have a cash savings of 10%!

A set of Callaway irons, which retails for about $700, can be leased for $35 per month on a 12-month or 18-month contract.

If you've wished you could lease clubs like you can your cars, check out Top Swing Leasing!

Have Some Spare Change?

Perhaps, this is the purchase for Tiger Woods and Michele Wie in the future. Airbus has manufactured a superjumbo plane. It's a double-decker and carries up to 850 passengers I'm sure more comfortably than any first-class seat on a flight that most of us could have.

You can catch a few winks in the bedroom suites, or sip champagne with "mood lighting" that changes as you travel the time zones to minimize the impact of jet lag. You can have a royal lounge and dine in a private dining room.

Best of all, you can have a driving range built into the plane! For the golf obsessed who don't want to miss a moment of practice, all of this can be yours for a mere $375 million!

Enjoy the Colonial...I miss the excitement that Tiger and Phil bring to tournaments, but it's still great golf!

Swinging Pink!

Derek Jeter, David Eckstein, and ten other baseball sluggers will be swinging pink bats on Sunday's Mother's Day to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Pink is also making a comeback in golf, thanks in part to Paula Creamer, who likes it as an accent color. Adams Golf has put out a set of a pink graphite clubs for women.

If pink is to support Susan G. Komen, I'm all for it. But, if you're a female business golfer and wanting to show your professionalism and use golf to build rapport with clients and prospects, be careful of using pink clubs and balls. Unfortunately, the color can still conjure the image of cute, bubbly "pretty girls in pink," which may not be how you want to be perceived.

Always use white balls in a business golf round. It certainly can have the pink ribbon on it as a logo and your mark on the ball, but shy away from the purple and green balls during your business golf round.

Masters Brand Management --- Part 2

A couple of trophies won by tennis player, Martina Navritilova, were auctioned yesterday. She doesn't know how the company acquired them, but her attorney is investigating it. Bjorn Borg recently announced that he was going to sell his Wimbeldon trophies for "financial security." He decided to keep them after a couple of fellow players called him.

A Heisman Trophy has been sold to raise legal fees for a murder defense fund or a token payment of a civil judgment. I'm sure Super Bowl rings have also been sold for cash.

Winners of those high-profile accomplishments in their respective sports seem to place little sentimental value on their prizes.

Will the awards presented at the Masters end up on EBay one day? The Masters champion is presented with a replica of the official trophy, a gold medal, and, of course, the green jacket (it probably can't be sold since the jacket stays on the premises of Augusta National Golf Club, except in extraordinary circumstances). The runner-up receives a silver medal and a silver tray. Crystal items are also given to players who shoot the low round, or have a hole-in-one, an eagle, and a double eagle.

To maintain the Masters's mystique, I'd advise Hootie and his friends to issue another rule for the players. Something to the effect that any trophy or award received at the Masters shall never be sold or auctioned in the public. And, Augusta National shall have the first right of refusal on the purchase of any such items.

I hope Hootie doesn't have to take this step, but nowadays you never know what people will do for "financial security" or to pay off debts, especially gambling ones.

John Daly's Gambling

I like John Daly as a golfer with long drives, yet soft hands around the greens. In his autobiography, he claims to have lost $50-60 million in gambling losses.

Perhaps the attorney-side of me is coming out, but my first thought is how could he not know the amount? If he doesn't know, you'd think there is someone in his organization who would know the amount. His admission is similar to a government agency who reports that its lost $25-35 million. Money that somehow just disappeared from the government coffers. It's bad enough that money is lost, but how can you not know if it's $1 million let alone $10 million.

Now, the author-side of me. By stating (unverifiably) the grandiose amount, he has received a tremendous amount of publicity. It's a great way to sell books. Create controversy, even if it reveals a negative characteristic.

On a personal note, I assume Daly can afford the loses while he's on tour and earning endorsements and tour monies. He seems to have an addictive personality, whether it's drugs, smoking, drinking, or gambling. If he decides to slay all of them, I wish him the best.

Check out Horsesmouth.com

If you're a financial advisor and member of Horsesmouth.com, I am the expert on playing business golf. Visit the discussion board and add your question or comments about the ins and outs of playing business golf.

It's been a very active forum and full of great ideas for financial advisors on how they can use golf to build their businesses.

Personal Note: Played 7-Hour Round + 5 Holes

Am I the only person who has a let down after the Masters or any other Major? I just couldn't get into the last two tournaments. I was interested to see Tiger racing stock cars and bungee jumping in New Zealand while attending Stevie's wedding. And, I was saddened to hear that Tiger was taking time off until the U.S. Open, only because I'm assuming time is short for his father, who is battling terminal cancer.

Speaking of fathers, on Sunday, I played a seven-hour round during the first round of a golf tournament with my father. It took five hours to play the first 18 holes! It was so slow because it was cart path only. I know to bring extra clubs, but in wet and heavy grass conditions, I would sometimes have to get more clubs to hit the next shot. I'm in Northern California where we've had more rain than ever and the grass was 5-7" long in the rough and 3-4" in the fairways. So, we spent more time looking for each other's balls.

In this tournament, we had three matches against our opponents. Two individual matches based on handicaps and then one team match based on best ball. After 18, we split the individual matches and tied on the team match. We had sudden death and finally my Dad and I won on the fifth hole.

Seven hours later, my father and I walked into the Clubhouse where he and my mother were hosting my niece's sweet 16 birthday dinner party. By the time we arrived, guests had finished eating and applauded when we walked in because they had heard we had won.

Talk about an exhausting, stress-filled lengthy battle. Imagine if we had lost and then still had to go to dinner...it would have been even more embarrassing given how late we were to our own party.

Here are a couple of reminders for speeding up play. Instead of taking the time to put your clubs back into your bag, hold them, and walk or ride to the next tee to put your clubs away.

Also, don't stop at the putting green to keep score. Walk ahead to the next tee and get everyone's score then, so the players behind can hit their approach shot.

Finally, especially in the conditions that we were playing in, try to help your playing partners and opponents spot their balls and help them look for them.

I can't wait for the sun to shine in Northern California!

Masterful Masters Management

Congratulations to Phil for his second green jacket. Although I wished Freddie had won because he's a favorite, I am glad to see Phil finally playing smart and with precision.

I love the Masters--the lore, the tradition, and the mystique. The folks at Augusta National Golf Club are the kings in brand management of their august tournament.

They're not spectators or galleries, they're patrons. You won't see a blimp shot or hear the annoying motor noise during the broadcasts. You see beautifully manicured golf for 56 minutes out of every hour. And, you only see ads from select companies. No ads from Cialis and Viagra, and no comments about bikini wax or Mark O'Meara belonging to Tiger a la Gary McCord.

I know I am supposed to hate them for not allowing women members, but I don't. It's the civilized and circumspect Super Bowl of golf.

Teamwork in Golf

Golf is usually thought of as an individual sport. It's you against your opponent or the field. But, teamwork can be a factor in golf in a couple of ways.

First, there is teamwork among the foursome. Each player should help other players locate and find their balls. There's the dance in the foursome of who should pull and replace the flagstick. And, the obvious is teamwork in team formats, such as scrambles where the player putting first should putt the ball to the hole to give his teammates a good read.

Another opportunity for teamwork to be a factor is the relationship between player and caddie. Think of effective player-caddie relationships. Tiger and Stevie, Phil and Bones, and last week's Steve Ames and brother, Robert, should come to mind.

While watching today's final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, however, I didn't see that type of relationship developing between Michelle Wie and her caddie, Greg Johnson. He was the caddie for Dottie Pepper and most recently Juli Inkster. Yet, when Michelle was on the green, I never saw him help her read the putts or discuss club selection, especially on the 18th green when Michelle hit an errant sandwedge eleven feet past the pin.

Given her caddie's experience at Mission Hills Country Club, I don't understand why they weren't talking about every putt. I would have assumed Michelle and her family selected Johnson as her caddie for his maturity and experience. After the bad drop which caused her disqualification in her first tournament as a professional and his not helping her read putts, I question whether this will be a team we'll see much in the future.

Although they don't work together often because of her limited playing schedule, there's a chemistry lacking between Michelle and her caddie. With her youth and inexperience, she needs to take advantage of a caddie's experience.

Teamwork in golf can help foursomes keep the pace or players win tournaments. Let's hope Michelle finds a caddie relationship, whether with Johnson or another, that will lead to victories on both the LPGA and PGA tours.

Ames Right On

Stephan Ames won The Players Championship with confidence and precision shots I haven't seen in awhile from a third-round leader. What struck me was what he said during his interviews after the third round and before he teed off on Sunday. He repeated if he stayed committed to every shot, he'd do well.

He did just that. There was never a hesitant swing (except one putt on 10) or sense of indecision. His caddy-brother surely helped Ames with his comment, "Have fun with the shot!"

We can apply the wisdom of the Ames brothers to our business lives and our golf games: Commit and have fun with it!

Sabbitani Slow Play Snafu - Round 2

Rory Sabbbitani made his dislike for slow play known when he teed off his ball on the next hole while Ben Crane (Sabbitani's playing competitor) was still putting out. On Thursday at The Players Championship, Sabbitani was put on the clock with playing partners Nick Faldo and Camillo Villegas. Sabbitani accused Faldo of slowing down play on purpose.

Sabbitani refers to Faldo's comments during the Nissan Open where Faldo suggested the way to beat Sabbitani is to slow him down. I didn't hear Faldo's remarks and he denies he played slowly intentionally. Instead Faldo explained they slowed to look for Villegas's lost ball and then got back on pace.

I don't particularly like Sabbitani, but he makes a good point about slow play. “When people say, if they are paired with you, that they will slow-play you, it leaves a lot of questions about their morals and professionalism,” said Sabbatini. “It is a matter of respect to your partners and the rest of the field.”

I hope Nick Faldo didn't slow play Sabbitani. So many golfers need to learn how to keep up the pace and keep rounds to four and one-half hours.

Take a Deep Breath

If you saw Greg Owen's three-putt on 17, which caused him to lose Arnold's tournament, you can feel his pain. I was watching the tournament after playing a wet, muddy round at my club. When he missed the first putt and immediately stood over the second putt, I yelled, "Take your time!"

Unfortunately, he didn't.

If you're working on a tight deadline, and things fall apart, say you can't find a document you thought you saved, it's best to take a deep breath and step back. Rather than randomly pushing different keys and getting angry, you need to push away from your keyboard. You might find it by doing a search of your hard drive, or the worst outcome, you'd have to re-compose the document.

The important thing is if you keep your head, you'll have a better chance to get that deadline met and make that comeback putt.

LPGA Tournament Thoughts

I flipped onto Golf Channel to watch some of the LPGA MasterCard Classic tournament and to my surprise I saw Annika getting into a golf cart. In fact, she was driving and her caddy was the rider. Apparently because of the elevation changes at the course, carts were allowed.

I chuckled to myself because when I speak to professionals I suggest that they drive if they're the host of a business golf round. The goal is to build a relationship and treat your guest well that day.

To see Annika driving, just showed who is in charge and is in the power position. I would have thought her caddy would drive, like he carries the clubs ordinarily, and she's thinking about her upcoming shot rather than maneuvering the cart.

As to seeing the carts in an LPGA tournament, it also surprised me to see that carts were even being used. I certainly remember the lawsuits over Casey Martin riding in PGA tournaments because of his illness that causes excruciating pain in his leg. I can't help but feel three-day tournaments and carts for players are not promoting an image of the LPGA as being on par with the caliber of competition in the PGA (at least that's what the LPGA and some players would like).

Let's Talk Business Golf on Monday, March 13th!

On Monday, March 13, 2006 at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST), I'm having a one-hour teleseminar call. It's free. If you ask me a question at www.asksuzannewoo.com, I'll answer it during the call.

I won’t help you hit the ball farther, or help you sink those 20-footers, although I play to a 13-handicap and am the 2004 women’s club champion at her club, Mira Vista Golf and Country Club in El Cerrito, California. But I can answer these questions:

• When are you ready to play golf with clients and prospects?
• Why should you play business golf?
• How good of a golfer do you have to be to play business golf?
• What mistakes must you avoid while playing?
  

So, ask me your single most important question about playing business golf with clients and prospects at www.AskSuzanneWoo.com. Submit your question along with your name and primary e-mail address.

I'll answer your question during the one-hour free teleseminar. Here’s the call-in information:

Date: Monday, March 13, 2006

Time: 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST)

Phone: 712-580-0100

Access Code: 841845# (Enter this number when prompted.)

NOTE: Please call in a few minutes early. The call will start
according to www.time.gov.