GOLF NEWS ARTICLE

US PGA Season Gets Underway With
Woods And Co Still On Holiday

SAPA-AP KAPALUA, MAUI Kapalua, Maui - On a dreary morning of clouds and drizzle, all it took was a sudden burst of of sun for Kapalua to produce a brilliant welcome to the start of the US PGA Tour season. Stretching across the horizon was a massive rainbow, a 180 degree arc of colours that poured into the blue waters of the Pacific. The rainbow was gone 10 minutes later, and reality returned to the winners-only Mercedes Championships, starting today, which has its smallest field ever because four guys didn't show up. The pot of gold was never there. In this case, that would be Tiger Woods, whose six victories in 2005 included two Majors. He decided to skip the tournament for the first time that he was fit to play. He said he needed an off-season after playing five times in five weeks after the PGA Tour's regular season ended in November. Also absent is PGA champion and four-time winner Phil Mickelson, who chose not to play for the fifth straight year, saying he wanted to spend time with his family. Retief Goosen, who once said the best way to start a season was holding a drink with a flower in it in Hawaii, is home with his family in South Africa. Ireland's Padraig Harrington broke through on the US PGA Tour last year with two victories, but he declined his invitation to the paradise to recharge from an emotional year. No one has a problem with Harrington staying in Ireland. His father was diagnosed with cancer after Harrington won the Honda Classic, and died not long after he won the Barclays Classic. No one needs time off to reflect and find closure more than Harrington. And frankly, no one would miss the other stars if the biggest one - Woods - had decided to play. The immediate reaction from some of his peers was that one less player to beat for the first prize, which includes a Mercedes-Benz S500 and a ticket back for next year. "I text messaged Tiger and said, 'No Hawaii for you, more cash for me," Mark Calcavecchia said. "From a selfish standpoint, that's two people who you know you'd have to beat," David Toms said, referring to Woods and Mickelson. Mickelson skipped the Tour Championship and its R40-million ($6 million) purse. And five years ago, when a R30-million ($5 million) purse meant something, a dozen Americans didn't go to Spain for a World Golf Championship. They were offered a charter flight, free lodging at a luxurious hotel in San Roque, five days on a picturesque course with views of the Mediterranean and the Rock of Gilbraltar, and nearly R200 000 ($30,000) for last place. The Mercedes Championships is not much different. Players are given a free room at the Ritz-Carlton, where it seems every corridor has a red carpet. Tournament host Gary Planos took a morning off to drive Toms and his son to the hill country to hunt pheasant. Others were referred to the Big Island for a corporate outing. "Obviously, more money is not an issue," Calcavecchia said. "They don't need the money, which is nice to be in that position. But ot's just golf, you know. Take next month off." They could do that. They could skip the whole year except for four big weeks. The tour likes to say its players are independent contractors, and Woods misses more tournaments than he plays. But there are some tournaments where players should feel extra sense of obligation, this being one of them. It's not easy winning on the PGA Tour, and if you don't believe that, check out the guest registry at the Ritz. Only 11 players qualified who were in the field last year. - SAPA-AP SOURCE: SAPA-AP, as published in The Star, page 21, Johannesburg, South Africa, 05 January 2006. Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide by Mike Pedersen Click Image To Visit Product Website "I Recommend Mike's E-Book Unreservedly!" Mike Pedersen has done two different things very well: he has 1), written with authority, knowledge, and unquestionable expertise on how to get and to stay in shape specifically for golfers, and 2), he has done it in a pleasurable, easy-to-read, and crystal clear manner... The book is, first of all, very well organized--so you can start right from the beginning and take things at your own pace. Mike covers areas in addition to those you would expect, i.e., psychological factors, aging, motivation, enjoyment ...it is right there up front with the applicability to every step of a golf swing--from setup to the end of the swing--and the end of the whole round, for that matter. I recommend Mike's book unreservedly: it is the work of a true professional. All the more so given that its cost is the smallest fraction of the cost to obtain a personalized regimen, or compared to a few visits to a gym or health club. -George Hibbard Author, Golf's Critical Details www.PerfectImpact.com