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I was invited to the season ending Tour event at beautiful King's Fields Golf Club here in Chiba. The Hitachi 3tours Championship is held at the end of every season to benefit children charities here in Japan. Top players, 6 on each team, representing the JGTO (Japan men's tour), JLPGA, and Senior PGA Japan compete against other for bragging rights only. All proceeds from the tournament go to charity. The morning starts off with 3 groups of 6, or 2 on each team playing alternate shot. This goes for 9 holes. The afternoon session sees 6 singles matches pitting a top men's pro against a senior pro against a lady pro. Points are scored 3.0 for a win, 2.0 for second or 1.0 for 3rd (both points are split in the case of a tie).

The men's team featured top pros like Ryo Ishikawa, Yuta Ikeda and money leader Sang-Moon Bae. The senior side was led by Nobuo Serizawa and Kiyoshi Murota while the ladies team featured Sakura Yokomine, Yukari Baba, Ritsuko Ryu, Miki Saiki, Shiho Oyama and money leader Sun-Ju Ahn.  Players are very relaxed as the tournament is for fun and they joke around and simply enjoy the last event of the season.

Camera crews and media were out in full force and I was lucky to get spotted on the tube a few times by neighbors thanks to my bright blue top (see first pic)... seems like everyone else was in black or white.

The weather was simply amazing and actually quite warm for almost mid December. Though the grass has browned for the winter the course was in amazing and rather lush conditions.  For the 3tours event, the tees are of course staggered with Men's pros playing from the Champions tees, seniors from the back tees and ladies from the regular tees. The ladies were on a roll all day and even though they had to content with over 500y par 5's, several girls were able to get 2 and dominate the scores with superb putting.

The girls won the first 4 singles matches, followed by a second by Sakura and Sun-ju splitting first and second points in the last group. It was enough for them to have a dominating 24.5 point win versus 16.5 for the JGTO and 13 for the PGA Seniors.  All in all a very fun day and I look forward to the 2012 season!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Living in Japan, I've had the pleasure of watching Ryo Ishikawa play regularly since he was around 15 years old.  This year the world has gotten an introduction to Japan's bashful prince with several invitations to some marquee PGA stops like the Masters and PGA Championship and culminating with the President's Cup where he was a suprise captain's pick by Greg Norman.

I have to admit when Norman picked Ishikawa I was excited but pretty concerned. Ishikawa had just turned 18 and while he has 4 wins in Japan this year, watching him week in and week out still shows signs of inconsistency and immaturity in his game.  One week he can be the unbeatable bashful prince and the next the invisible prince. Which Ryo Ishikawa would show up ath the President's Cup I thought?  He didn't exactly show he belonged in his few visits to the US earlier though he played repsectably. Well as most of you have already seen or read, after a few first day jitters he settled down a lot to show what many people are raving about in Japan, a sound swing, smooth putting stroke and a fearless mindset. In Japan he typically goes for shots other players can't make and he makes them because of his immense golf talent but he also misses. The fact is he is daring enough to go for it which makes him stand out from others.

Watching him in his PGA appearances earlier this year showed a tentative and out of place Ishikawa, just happy to be there. The President's Cup was different where Ishikawa, as part of an international team, stepped up wanting to win and contribute. He still has a long way to go but at his age, no one can doubt that he has had a great start to his young career. His game still will develop with experience but he definitely has the physical tools and talent and its just question of how he harnesses those tools. He showed glimpses of the future at the President's cup with a 3-2 record and surprised many with his putting.  A big part of his success was how comfortable his team mates made him feel as they accepted him with open arms and gave him the guidance and leadership he needed.

Two years ago I thought Japanese golf club maker Yonex took a big gamble signing Ishikawa to a 5 year $10 million dollar sponsorship deal based on hype. But it has turned out to be a worthy investment as Yonex sales for both clubs and golf wear have rocketed up the charts and can only continue to grow as Ishikawa does.

(Pictures courtesy of GDO)

Ryo Ishikawa Iron Swing Video:

Ryo Ishikawa Driver Swing Video:

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Here's something that's a bit out of the ordinary for this Wednesday, but was a question raised by golf.com amongst others.  Anyone that has ever played this amazing game of golf knows that while it can be the most rewarding sport on the planet, but a single shot later and you could be feeling like it's the worst invention man has ever thought up.  When those "bad days" on the golf course happen, controlling your reactions to those poor shots can be nearly impossible.  Knowing this, whether or not golf pros should be able to vocally and verbally express their anger at the quality of their play is being debated, and it's being debated because of the actions and behavior of golf's most high profile golfer:  Tiger Woods.

Tiger's Fireworks at British Raised Eyebrows

If you tuned in at all to the British Open, you know exactly what we're talking about.  How Tiger performed is no secret, but what the cameras did their best to hide, was his reactions to that play.  An errant drive led to him hitting his golf bag with his club.  A missed putt lead to him throwing the putter and dropping the "f" word; a bad shot from the fairway and you heard any number of profanities.  The question we're left asking, and apparently golf.com agrees, is why in the world is the PGA and their cameras doing their best to hide these reactions?  I'm sorry, but the one thing I took home from the movie Happy Gilmore, is that if golf could use one thing, more than all other things, it'd be Passion.  Golf needs more fire, more excitement, more drama and yes, more REactions.  Golf needs every golfer to want to win so bad that one bad shot leads to a 5-iron soaring through the air.

We React, Why Can't They?

If you think to the last time you played, the people you played with and the other golfers populating the course, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone Not reacting to their play.  It's natural to want to play well, it's natural to react when you don't.  Why then are we expecting those with the most skill in the world to not react when they don't display that skill?  I understand the need to censor the words being said, but why hide the emotions themselves?

PGA Tour Needs More Fire

Our advice:  Let golfers be human too.  The PGA Tour needs an infusion of emotion, passion and fire.  Stop worrying about the reactions, stop filtering the drama and let golf be even greater.

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If you asked me Thursday evening if I thought Tiger Woods was going to take home top honors for the third time in his amazing career come Sunday I would have probably thought it was a direct possibility.  If you would have asked me if I thought he'd win at -20, after only being -1 after the first day, I'd say the odds were definitely stacked against him.  No matter the odds, however, Tiger Woods once again proved that he is not only the best golfer in the world, he's by far the most entertaining to watch.

Three Stroke Victory

That's right, it's over and when the dust settled and the applause died off Tiger Woods was left standing alone at the top of the leaderboard, three large strokes ahead of the closest competitors, John Senden, Roland Thatcher and Greg Chalmers in a three-way tie for second place at -17.  That's right, a four round score of 268 was the price Woods had to pay to win for a third time at the Buick Open, the first without being directly sponsored by the company.

Tiger Moves to 36-1 After 54-Hole Lead

What makes this victory all the more impressive, is the simple reality that Tiger Woods has now improved his performance to an amazing 36-1 after having the lead following 54 holes of play.  Yes, you heard right, he's won 36 tournaments after leading following Round 3, and lost only once, as mentioned back in 1996 when he was only 20 years old.  Equally impressive, is the fact that this victory marks Tiger's fourth victory already this year, which just so happens to be DOUBLE his closest competition.  I guess the fact that he's only had 11 starts since his knee surgery, and the fact that he's now won 4 of those 11 is pretty amazing too.

ReGains FedEx Cup Lead

Also feeling pretty amazing to Tiger is the fact that this victory gave him an additional 500 FedEx Cup points, which puts him once again in sole possession of the top spot.  One fact, however, stood out to me that cements the fact that we've never seen a golfer like Tiger Woods, and it's unlikely we ever will again...try this on for size:

"His career victory total trails Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).  Woods reached victory No. 69 at the age of 33 years and seven months -- almost 7 years quicker than Nicklas and eight years sooner than Snead.  Dating to the 2006 British Open, he has won 21 of 39 starts on TOUR."

In a word, Wow.  In two words:  Tiger Woods.

(AP Photo/Al Goldis)

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It might have taken a lot longer than anyone expected to get the first round in the books at the RBC Canadian Open in Ontario, Canada, but man, the wait was worth it.  The scores keep dropping, and dropping, and dropping some more at the tournament and currently we're seeing a race for the Round 1 lead at a whopping -9.  Impressive but it actually makes a bit more sense considering that the rain probably made the conditions a bit more slow and conducive to great play.  Right?

4-Way Tie for Lead

That said, there is indeed a four-way tie at the time of writing things, between Camillo Villegas, Pat Perez, Jerry Kelly and Kevin Na.  All of them are on their way through their second rounds at a very impressive nine-under and looking to extend on that as a few of the golfers are only on the 5th hole.  Wow.

Will The Weather Hold?

Now, the question that's plaguing everyone on the golf course is whether or not the weather will actually hold on and let people finish their second rounds and get this tournament back on track.  Word from the course is that dark clouds are certainly hovering around and there are severe thunderstorms in the forecast.  I guess time will tell if they decide to come down and literally rain on the RBC Parade, but you can rest assured golfers are doing their best to get their 2nd rounds in as quickly as possible.

Golf At Its Finest

It's often said that tournaments like this are just fillers between the bigger, more important and star-studded events, but to me, these are what golf is all about.  These tournaments have golfers grinding it out, playing in as many tournaments as possible and trying to hone their craft and playing the best golf they possibly can.  It might not be the biggest names in golf, but it's golf at its finest.

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While Baseball, Football and even cycling has had it's extremely large share of drug problems, doping rumors and performance enhancing issues, it looks like a solid year into the official testing on the PGA Tour has come up with exactly nothing.  How much of a great relief and breath of fresh air is it that in the midst of so many drug scandals and steroid rumors, the PGA Tour is completely and utterly clean!?

Finchem & Tour Members Are Clean

Turns out, that's exactly the case as PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has officially announced the news.  The great thing, and sign of a great leader on the PGA Tour was that when the drug-testing officially begain, Finchem himself was the very first person to be tested under the new anti-doping policy, while Tim Clark was the very first PGA Golfer to go under the test.  We're a year in, and more than 1,000 samples have been taken and as mentioned, not a single test has come up positive.  Phew.

Finchem Speaks Out

According to Finchem:

"There have been no suspensions because of doping...It's not going to surprise me if we have some issue, but I think what's clear is we do not have a doping problem. Having an issue or two as we go forward does not mean we're having a problem. It could mean a lot of things. But - knock on wood - we're very pleased at this point in time."

I'm afraid there will always be suspicions, but we're inclined to agree that it's a great sign for golf that no one has tested positive.  In an age where everyone is cautious to believe everything, in every sport, it's refreshing to see a sport we love so much uphold the high level of class and purity that we come to expect.

Keep it Up PGA!

Hopefully, for the PGA Tour and all of us fans, this great record continues.  I'd had to see the finger pointed at another great sport.  Keep it up Golfers!

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Well, it's officially official.  2010 will indeed mark the effective change deadline for the brand new groove rule that's been squabbled about for the last few years.  Now we know.  According to the most recent reports, the PGA Tour Policy Board has officially passed the new rule, and while the actual board members abstained from voting, Commissioner Finchem passed the new rule and declared that as of January, the new "Conditions of Competition" would be in effect.

How do the Players Feel?

The question is, how do the players feel about this?  How do the manufacturers?  Well when it comes to the players feelings, one of the greatest golfers of all time actually chimed in and spoke his mind concerning the new groove change rule, and by the looks of things, he thinks it's great.  Here's what Tiger Woods had to say:

"I think it's great...We've had plenty of time to make our adjustments. We've known for over a couple years now what this decision was going to be, when it was going to come down, and we've had plenty of time to make our adjustments."

On-Site Testing Device

The rule, which will apply to any and all clubs over 25 degrees in loft, goes into effect in January and all tournaments and events will have an on-site testing device to measure every club being used for conformity.  This new rule should significantly reduce the amount of spin people are able to put on the ball so it will be extremely interesting to see how it affects play from the rough and other less favorable places on the course.

What About The Rest Of Us?

How will this rule affect us, the amateur and very casual golfers out there?  Looks like there is some good news for us.  According to the article:

"First, equipment companies can continue to sell current models with U-grooves through the end of 2010. Beyond that, the new regulation on conforming grooves will take effect for high-level amateurs in 2014 and for "casual" players in 2024."

Plenty of time!

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We all know just how much the PGA pros are absolutely dreading the upcoming Groove Change rule that is going to be put into effect in the near future.  We all know how they are even speaking out about this rule change on their own personal websites, Twitter accounts and in statements released to the media.  Looks like there might be a bit of GOOD news for all those that are anti-groove change rule, as word is circulating that the plans to implement that change might be placed on hold.

Cink Predicts Tuesday Answer

If the rumors are true and the reports that despite the fact that it's been well over a year of research, well over a year since the USGA announced the rule change that they wanted to be put in place by 2010, it looks like that all that time might be for not, if the way the players are talking is any indication.  According to Stewart Cink, who just so happens to be a member on the PGA's Tour Policy Board:

"Last night there was a conference call and we decided that it was too heated of an issue to decide on a conference call so we're going to wait until next week's board meeting to make a decision about it...I would expect by Tuesday there will be some kind of an answer on it."

Those with inside tracks are saying there could be up to a 90% chance that the rule won't be put into play in 2010.  According to reports, here is why that rule might be a bit delayed:

"One of the reasons the players may vote not to implement is that there have been concerns expressed by some tour players that both they and manufacturers are having difficulties making and testing the clubs that feature the new groove. The measurement stipulations for the new groove are more technical than some previous groove rules, and include the use of specific groove edge radius measurements and restrictions on how many grooves have to meet the new stipulations. The measurement procedure is detailed in a nine-page document. By contrast, in the past groove sharpness was regulated in the field by "the finger test" to determined raised or sharp edges on grooves."

Whatever happens, this is one to stay tuned to.  Things are going to get interesting in the world of the USGA and the PGA trying to come together on this rule.  How it will end up remains to be seen.

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Looks like this is officially the week where the PGA Tour and many of their most famous and popular golfers to step up, pitch in and really use their names, their fame, their money and their time to help do some really great things.  We already know, based on reports from yesterday, that the PGA Tour is on board to help with President Obama's newest "United We Serve" Plan to help boost community service.  What you might not know, however, is that Nike's sponsored golfer's are pitching in to help out with fellow Nike-man, Lance Armstrong and his Live Strong Foundation.

Special Yellow Bags to Boost Awareness

That's right, reports are in that both the PGA and LPGA's tournaments and events, golfers who have a Nike Sponsorship will be using a special all-yellow bag with Live Strong detailing to help bring cancer awareness and raise some money when the bags are auctioned off on eBay after the week is over.  According to reports:

"At the Traveler's Championship in Hartford, Stewart Cink, U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, Justin Leonard, Carl Pettersson, Kris Blanks, Brendon Todd and Bob Tway will use the bag. At the Wegmans LPGA in Rochester, N.Y., Amanda Blumenherst, Paige MacKenzie and Ashley Simon will have it...Anthony Kim and Michelle Wie are planning to wear yellow shirts during their respective events to show support."

Great Idea Nike!

Personally, I love seeing this kind of support and celebrities using their fame, skill and the extremely public nature of their job to do some real good for the world.  Cancer awareness is an amazingly important thing, and until everyone is behind it, we're going to continue to see cancer take lives all over the planet.  So, kudos to Nike Golf, and kudos to Lance Armstrong's Live Strong Foundation.  Well played.

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Today, as you already are completely aware of I am sure, is the kick off of what has annually been an extremely exciting, high profile and talent-filled PGA Tour stop, the HP Byron Nelson Championship.  Everyone from Freddy Couples, to Tiger Woods to Adam Scott have had great moments at this tournament and with Round 1 currently underway, I'm sure we're going to see even more intense and nail-biting moments this year.

Phil & Tiger Out

Unfortunately this year, we'll be short some of golf's finest, including Phil Mickelson who just had to withdraw from not only this weekend's tournament, but also an untold number of upcoming events as his wife was sadly just diagnosed with breast cancer.  Tiger Woods will also be sitting out of the Byron Nelson, but there are a lot of other great golfers teeing off as we speak that should keep things interesting.

Video Proof Of Exciting Golf

We just found a video put out by the PGA Tour that features some of the most memorable moments to take place at this very tournament, and I have to say, it got us pumped up for the next few days of golf.  Here's to hoping this year is just as exciting as all of the others.  Check out the video and then start tuning in!

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What a difference a day makes!  Looks like the lead changes and shakeups are continuing at the Valero  Texas Open in San Antonio and while this tournament most likely isn't getting the ratings of last weeks The Players Championship or even Quail Hollow before it, it's still an exciting tournament and things are shaping up to make for an exciting Saturday and Sunday round to come.

Leonard in Three-Way Tie for Lead

Currently atop the leader board is Justin Leonard, who was tied for the lead at the close of Round 1 yesterday.  He's already in the clubhouse after posting a second round 68 to put him at -9, locked in a three-way tie for the lead with Mathias Groneberg of Sweden, and Ted Purdy of the United States.  Some impressive golf is being played and I wouldn't be shocked to see David Duval, currently sitting at -7 and on the 9th hole, climb to the top of that leaderboard before the close of play today.

Defend His Title?  We'll See

Also playing well, and fighting to defend his title of Valero Texas Open Champion, is Zach Johnson.  In the event he DID take home the victory, he'd be the third person this year to successfully defend his title.  Currently he's sitting at -5 after putting up a 68 and 67 respectively.  Considering the other two players to defend their titles this year were Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, he's got some heavy hitting ahead of him to join the their ranks.

Tiger Woods Spotted

Speaking of, Tiger Woods, noticeably absent from this tournament has been spotted.  According to reports:

"How is Tiger Woods spending today since he's not playing in the Valero Texas Open? According to Shaquille O'Neal's Twitter (Twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ), he's shooting a commercial with the world's No. 1 player for ESPN...Later this weekend, Woods will be hosting his annual Tiger Jam concert in Las Vegas, which will feature Gwen Stefani and others."

Tiger, Found.  Tune in and catch the rest of Round 2 and make sure to catch Round 3 tomorrow.  The play is good and getting more exciting by the minute.

(image via Feldman/Getty Images)

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Saturday is shaping up to be one heck of a day at Quail Hollow, and if things continue like this, Sunday will be even better.  Here's a brief rundown of how yesterday ended:  Tiger slipped and had a rocky finish that dropped him out of the lead and left him tied for 3rd place, while Retief Goosen and Bubba Watson surged ahead to tie for the outright lead.

The Shakeups Continue

Today, things are already shaking up and the lead is becoming a three-way tie for the top spot, while neither of Friday's leaders or Tiger Woods have even stepped onto the tee-box yet.  One of the most surprising movers, however, is Brendon de Jonge, who has "birdied five of his first seven holes with one bogey sandwiched in there."

Started Tied for 25th...In the Lead Now

Not bad considering he started his day tied for 25th.  Talk about a leap.  What a story it'd be if he could hold onto this position until the end of tomorrow.  According to PGATour.com:

"de Jonge, who was last year's Nationwide Tour Player of the Year, is in position for his best finish of the year if he can keep it up. Earlier this year, the 28-year-old Charlotte resident who plays out of nearby Piper Glen had a couple of strong performances in L.A. and Mexico, finishing T10 and T15, respectively, but he hasn't sniffed the top 40 since. Prior to this week, he broke 70 just once in his last 13 rounds."

Prepare for Fireworks

If we've learned anything in the last decade, however, it's that you can never, ever count Tiger Woods out.  Tied for 3rd and yet to tee off, I Think we're about to see some fireworks.

(Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)