Nike Golf Athletes: Tour Wrapup 2.28.10

Here’s how the Nike Golf athletes fared at the tour events this past weekend:

PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open
Anthony Kim  T24  -9  275
Carl Pettersson  T62  -3  281
Lucas Glover  MC
Trevor Immelman  MC
Justin Leonard  MC

Nationwide Tour: Panama Claro Championship
Chris Nallen  T25  -5  275
Jamie Lovemark  T57  +4  284
Brendan Todd  MC
Jhonattan Vegas  MC
Ron Whitaker  MC

LPGA Tour:  HSBC Women’s Champions
Suzann Pettersen  T3  -7  281
Michelle Wie  T15  -4  284
Amanda Blumenherst  62  +22  310

Nike Golf Athletes in the Field 2.25-2.28

Here are the Nike Golf athletes at the tour events this week:

PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover
Trevor Immelman
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Carl Pettersson

Nationwide Tour: Panama Claro Championship
Jamie Lovemark
Chris Nallen
Brendan Todd
Jhonattan Vegas
Ron Whitaker

LPGA Tour:  HSBC Women’s Champions
Amanda Blumenherst
Suzann Pettersen
Michelle Wie

SQ MachSpeed Hybrids Available 2.25.10

SQMACH_HY_SLDRNike Golf Adds More Energy and Speed to SQ MACHSPEED Line

Nike Golf is adding more energy and speed to its exciting new SQ MACHSPEED line of clubs with the introduction of the SQ MACHSPEED hybrids. Nike athlete Suzann Pettersen used the new hybrids in competition for the first time at the Honda PTT LPGA event in Thailand, where she finished second.

As with the Nike SQ MACHSPEED drivers, fairway woods and irons, the SQ MACHSPEED hybrids use the power of aerodynamics to help golfers hit the ball farther and straighter – all due to speed. Nike’s Total Swing Aerodynamic technology is designed to create a higher initial ball velocity and launch angle with less spin.

“The key to gaining more distance is to increase ball speed. The key to increasing ball speed is through aerodynamics,” said Tom Stites, Director of Club Creation for Nike Golf.  “We’ve been able to optimize aerodynamics in the total golf swing.  This helps to create a faster clubhead and ball speed.”

Nike’s Total Swing Aerodynamic Design moves the air faster across the sole, over the crown and around the skirt for incremental swing speed advances.

For maximum stability and forgiveness in all kinds of lies, the SQ MACHSPEED hybrids feature Tour proven square technology by moving weight out and into the corners. A 455 ultra thin steel face delivers hotter response and longer shots.

Availability: February 25, 2010 at golf shops and specialty stores nationwide.

Men’s Loft Options:  #2/18-degree (RH/LH); #3/21-degree (RH/LH); #4/24-degree (RH/LH); #5/27-degree (RH/LH); #6/30-degree (RH/LH); All are available in S,R,A

MSRP: $179.99

Women’s Loft Options:  #5/25-degree (RH); #6/30-degree (RH); W

MSRP: $179.99

Editor’s Note: The post above is from a press release from Nike Golf.

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Nike Nuggets 2.22.10

  • Nike athlete Suzann Pettersen finished second at the LPGA’s season opener in Thailand. She now has 14 Nike clubs in her bag including the new Nike VR STR8-FIT Tour driver, Nike’s SQ MACHSPEED 18-degree hybrid and the Nike METHOD putter.
  • Paul Casey recorded a 377-yard drive – the longest drive during the first four rounds at the Accenture Match Play Championship. He used the new Nike VR Tour driver and Nike ONE Tour ball to help secure his second place finish.
  • Nike athlete John Cook finished second at the Allianz Championship on the Champions Tour. He used the Nike VR STR8-FIT Tour driver as well as the Nike METHOD putter.
  • Stewart Cink talks about his Accenture Match Play performance and his Nike weapons (including his VR Tour driver, METHOD putter and ONE Tour D ball). Paul Casey guest stars, check it out at www.youtube.com/nikegolf
  • Trevor Immelman is playing the WM Phoenix Open this week, his first tournament of the 2010 season. He has been testing out some new Nike products. We might see the new Nike SQ MACHSPEED driver in his bag.

* The content for the post above was provided by Nike Golf.

Nike Golf Athletes: Tour Wrapup 2.21.10

Congratulations to Suzann Pettersen, John Cook and Paul Casey for hard-fought battles in their respective events (all with second place finishes). Here’s how the rest of the Nike Golf athletes fared at the tour events this past weekend:

PGA Tour & European Tour: WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship
Paul Casey  2
Stewart Cink  T8
Charl Schwatrzel  T16
Stephen Ames  T64
Simon Dyson T64
Lucas Glover  T64
Anthony Kim  T64
Justin Leonard  T64
Francesco Molinari  T64

PGA Tour: Mayakoba Golf Classic
Carl Pettersson  T67  +3  287
David Duval  MC
Pablo Martin  MC

LPGA Tour: Honda PTT LPGA Thailand
Suzann Pettersen  2  -20  268
Amanda Blumenherst  T18  -6  282
Michelle Wie  T22  -5  283

Champions Tour: Allianz Championship
John Cook  2  (Playoff)  -17  199
Bob Tway  T34  -6  210
Craig Stadler  T37  -5  211
Lanny Wadkins  78  +16  232

Sandbox 8 Interviews Tom Stites at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show

Check out this great interview Rob with Sandbox 8 did with Nike Golf’s Director of Product Creation Tom Stites at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day. In the video Tom speaks about the technology behind the new SQ MachSpeed driver, how the average golfer can benefit from adjustable face drivers, club fitting, and the future of golf club technology.

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Check out the Tom Stites interview on Sandbox 8 >>

SQ MachSpeed Fairway Woods Available 2.25.10

Nike Golf Adds More Acceleration to Fairway Woods with the Introduction of SQ MACHSPEED

SQMACH_FW_SLDR_550Nike Golf is adding more speed to its new SQ MACHSPEED line with the addition of the Nike SQ MACHSPEED fairway woods.  The new SQ MACHSPEED fairway woods will use the power of Total Swing Aerodynamics to help golfers hit the ball farther and straighter.

As with the recently announced Nike SQ MACHSPEED drivers, the SQ MACHSPEED fairway woods are loaded with ground-breaking technology, specifically the combination of square technology and Nike’s Total Swing Aerodynamic Design.

Nike’s Total Swing Aerodynamic engineering moves air faster across the sole, over the crown and around the skirt for incremental swing speed advances.  Nike designed the SQ MACHSPEED fairway woods to optimize the aerodynamics throughout the entire swing and to deliver more speed and reduce drag.

TOTAL SWING AERODYNAMIC DESIGN

Nike’s Total Swing Aerodynamic design reduces drag throughout the entire swing, which results in a faster clubhead and increased ball speed.

Fast Start

At the beginning of the downswing, the tapered heel geometry and toe-side aerodynamic Nike PowerBow design promote smooth air flow around the head for quicker acceleration.

Acceleration

As speed increases, so does drag force.  But the aerodynamic Nike PowerBow and sole diffuser designs keep the airflow smooth and close to the club surface, reducing drag and encouraging a faster acceleration.

Maximum Speed

Drag reduction through-out the downswing allows the club to reach its true maximum speed, delivering maximum energy to the ball.

Availability: February 25, 2010 at golf shops and golf specialty stores nationwide

SQ MACHSPEED Fairway Woods

Men’s: Loft Options:  3 (RH/LH); 4 (RH); 5 (RH/LH); 7 (RH); All available in:  A,R,S,X

MSRP: $239.99

Women’s: Loft Options: 3 (RH); 5 (RH); 7 (RH); All available in W (women’s) shaft.

MSRP: $239.99

Editor’s Note: The post above is from a press release from Nike Golf.

Visit the SQ MachSpeed microsite at nikegolf.com >>

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Nike Golf Athletes in the Field 2.17-2.21

Here are the Nike Golf athletes at the tour events this week:

PGA Tour & European Tour: WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship
Stephen Ames
Paul Casey
Stewart Cink
Simon Dyson
Lucas Glover
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Francesco Molinari
Charl Schwatrzel

PGA Tour: Mayakoba Golf Classic
David Duval
Pablo Martin
Carl Pettersson

LPGA Tour: Honda PTT LPGA Thailand
Amanda Blumenherst
Suzann Pettersen
Michelle Wie

Champions Tour: Allianz Championship
John Cook
Craig Stadler
Bob Tway
Lanny Wadkins

WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Preview: Nike Golf Athletes Battle In Tucson

The PGA and European Tours’ elite players head to Marana, Arizona this week for the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, and an exciting five days of match play golf gets underway tomorrow. I will be there on Wednesday along with 64 of the top players in the world rankings as play gets underway at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain. Two considerably more notable names in the golf world will be absent — Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. However the new #2 ranked player in the word Steve Stricker will be there along with other notable names such as Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Geoff Ogilvy and many others who will be looking to be last man standing on Sunday.

Nike Golf is well represented in the field of 64 — here is the list of Nike Golf athletes in the field in order of their current world ranking:

Paul Casey (7)
Stewart Cink (21)
Lucas Glover (22)
Anthony Kim (28)
Charl Schwartzel (37)
Francesco Molinari (46)
Simon Dyson (54)
Justin Leonard (58)
Stephen Ames (63)

From this list of nine athletes I’m choosing six who I think have a chance at bringing home the title and why:

Paul Casey
Paul reached the final match last year only to lose to Geoff Ogilvy. After nursing a rib injury for the second half of last year Paul is anxious to get back to his winning ways, and no better place to start than where he left off at last year’s event.

Stewart Cink
Stewart finished third last year and second in 2008. He gained much confidence last year when he won the Open Championship, and perhaps 2010 is the year he takes home his first World Match Play title.

Anthony Kim
Anthony has been yearning to get back to the wining form he showed in 2008. His performance on the last two Ryder Cup and President’s Cup teams showed how successful he can be in the match play format.

Charl Schwartzel
Charl is off to a fine start in 2010 with two wins and a second place finish on the European Tour. He is currently #1 on the European Tour Order of Merit, and if his continues this week he could walk away with the trophy.

Francesco Molinari
Francesco won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup last year with brother Eduardo, the last event on 2009 European Tour schedule. He had seven top ten finishes in 2009, two of which were second place, and he made the cut in three of the four majors last year. Perhaps this year’s Match Play will be where he gets his first individual title on U.S soil.

Simon Dyson
Simon won twice on the European Tour in 2009, however this is his first WGC Match Play appearance. He usually plays well in major events, so maybe he can come out of the blocks with a win in his first try.

No matter who is the last man standing on Sunday, it is sure to be an entertaining five days of match play golf. And I think the odds are good that it will be a Nike Golf athlete holding the trophy on Sunday evening.

WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Preview and Bracket Analysis

World_Golf_ChampionshipsAh, this is one of my favourite times of the year. I got my chocolate fill from Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday is still relevant and March Madness is right around the corner. While Sunday was a beautiful day, filled with a Canadian gold medal and my boy, Dustin “DJ” Johnson, locked up a win at Pebble Beach, I couldn’t stop thinking about my bracket.

Download a PDF of the official bracket here >>

The WGC Accenture Match Play Championship is one of my favourite tournaments of the year. Filling out my bracket for this event is more enjoyable than that of the NCAA tournament. I don’t care that Tiger and Phil aren’t playing… I don’t care about the groove rule. I care about the best players on the planet coming together and the European boys getting a chance to shine on North American soil for the first time this year.

The beasts of the European Tour scream consistency. Westwood, McIlroy, Karlsson, Jiminez and Karlsson are always at the top of the leaderboard and there’s so much talent over there.

For Nike Golf, the top players are as follows, along with their World Golf Rankings:

  • Paul Casey (7)
  • Stewart Cink (21)
  • Lucas Glover (22)
  • Anthony Kim (28)
  • Charl Schwartzel (37)
  • Francesco Molinari (46)
  • Simon Dyson (54)
  • Justin Leonard (58)
  • Stephen Ames (63)

Last year, 2 of the final 4, were Nike Athletes and the chances are good again this year for a similar story. However, I think the Europeans will dominate. Let’s move on to the Bracket Analysis. My full bracket can be seen below.

Bobby Jones Bracket

When I think of match play, three names pop into my head, two of them being Anthony Kim and Ian Poulter. On the top of the bracket, Fisher and Stricker is a dream matchup and I don’t think they’ll have much trouble advancing. The intrigue here is Stricker vs. Fisher and Poulter vs. AK.

I would be all over an AK/Fisher rematch from the Volvo World Matchplay Championship, but it’s such a tossup. They’re all playing so well and you can’t be mad about any of the resulting matchups. I have to pick one though..so…here it is: (For the record, I would be happiest with an AK vs. Fisher rematch)

Bracket Final: Stricker vs. Poulter

Bracket underdog: AK. He’s not really an underdog in my mind, but I don’t think people are giving him a lot of credit. In my mind, he’s the lowest seed in this bracket with a chance to win it.

Gary Player Bracket

This is a tricky bracket. Westwood is a master, but I don’t think he’s a lock in match play. We all know Watney can get hot, and that could mean trouble for Westwood.  The other matchup that gets me excited is DJ vs. Ogilvy. These are the two of the hottest golfers in my mind and the winner (if they face each other) will win the Bobby Jones Bracket.

Bracket Final: Westwood vs. D. Johnson

Bracket underdog: Ryan Moore. I have him beating Ernie and also Retief. He’s very much underrated and has really improved his play over the past year.

Ben Hogan Bracket

McIlroy is the sexy pick and he should be. The kid is a stud and I expect him to face off against Kaymer or Glover. I’m not expecting much from Sergio and I think Toms can beat him in the first round.

There’s a great potential matchup of Jiminez vs. McIlroy solely based on the Dubai Desert Classic from this year, having McIlroy win it last year.

Bracket final: Glover vs. McIlroy

Bracket underdog: Graeme McDowell. He’s got the game to get past Donald and Allenby, and he would love the chance to take on Rors, his fellow countryman.

Sam Snead Bracket

Paul Casey should be advancing here, at least to the bracket finals. He’s healthy and has been solid so far this year. My concern with this bracket is with the Americans at the top. Potentially, Furyk, Mahan, Cink and O’Hair will move on. Furyk and Cink have the experience and Mahan has been super shaky this year. However, I’m looking for a big rebound from Mahan. I think he needs something to get him going and this is it. I’m not expecting anything from Kenny Perry, either.

Olympic Special: Ames vs. Weir in round 2. I think both of them will lose, but it’s still exciting. After all, I am Canadian.

Bracket Final: Mahan vs. Casey

Bracket underdog: Francesco Molinari. I actually have him meeting up with Casey in round 3. Either of the brothers will do well here. I think Mahan might be a bit of an underdog too because he hasn’t started the year well.
In my final 16, I have 9 European Tourboys (including Rors, even though he’s a PGA player now). Also in that 16 are 5 Nike Golfers.

I don’t really want to see Ogilvy win again. I see this happening a few ways: if Stricker wins he is this year’s Tiger Woods.  If a young stud wins (AK, McIlroy, DJ, O’Hair, Poulter…whoever) it can make golf exciting without Tiger.

I have Rory winning it all, Casey in 2nd and Poulter in 3rd. Heartbreak yet again for Paul Casey.

I really feel like Poulter can pull it off against Stricker. I can picture Poulter draining long putts and completely charging up Arizona and torching the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

In summary, there’s so much talent here that a potential win at The Mayakoba Classic by Duval could be overshadowed. Oh yeah, there’s another prediction.

MY BRACKET:

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