The Golf Insiders

05/22/13 The Golf Insiders

NOTE: Users can add The Golf Insiders podcast to their iPhone as an app now. Click here and go to the bottom of the device's screen to create the "Quick Launch" icon for the Golf Insiders. Once you've done this it will add The Golf Insiders podcast as an App to your home screen. Holly G and Rich B are in the studio talking all the latest news on Tiger and Sergio, the anchoring ban and the International Network of Golf Spring Conference. While at the ING Conference at Reunion Golf Resort Holly was paired with the rep from Bridgestone golf who fitted her for the first time with the correct ball for her swing speed and smash factor. Holly said not only does your swing speed have a lot to do with the ball you should use, it also has a lot to do with where you hit the ball off the clubface each time. Bob Harig, ESPN.com, calls in to talk to Holly and Rich about the latest news in golf. Holly asks him about Sergio Garcia's press conference at a European Tour event where he offered an apology to Tiger. The backstory is that Tiger Woods and Sergio have been going back and forth after an "incident" at The Players Championship.  With the two paired together and contending for the lead at The Players, Tiger pulled a club from his bag at the same time Sergio was about to hit his shot 50 yards away. Tiger thought Sergio had played his shot already. The selection caused the crowd around him to react and Sergio felt that the noise affected his shot. The two have been exchanging comments in the media ever since.  At a banquet in London, Sergio was jokingly asked about getting together with Tiger. Sergio said, “We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken.” The "racist" comment hearkened back to the comment Fuzzy Zoeller made about Woods at the 1997 Masters Tournament which haunts Fuzzy to this day. Sergio apologized at the press conference. Bob mentions that the two have only played 20 times in the past 13 years, which is not very often and does not know where the animosity comes from? There have been a few incidents over the years where Sergio has taken opportunities to poke at Tiger and the same with Tiger and Sergio. Harig also mentions that the other part of the situation is that Sergio has to worry about his sponsors staying with him and the fallout from his comments.  Especially when he is making most of his money off the golf course. Holly talks to Bob about his article on ESPN.com about the USGA's ban on anchoring when putting.  The ban takes affect in 2016. Bob feels that not a lot of players will be affected by the ban. Even the players that have had success with the anchoring of the putter say that it is an advantage, which is not fair to other players. There has been speculation that the Tour may do its own thing, but Bob doesn't feel that will happen. Holly talks to Kevin Baker, Director of Golf and head PGA Professional at Reunion Golf Resort & Spa about everything that Reunion has to offer golfers and their families. Holly was at Reunion for the ING Spring Conference.  Reunion offers 3 different courses, Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson. Each course is different than the other but none is a "signature" course. Reunion is a Stay and Play resort as well as host to 1oo events throughout the year. It is also home of the ANNIKA Academy and Frank Thomas' Putting Pad - a structured way to teach putting and the new home of the North Florida PGA Headquarters. Jeff Shain, PGA Tour.com, calls in to wrap up the hour of intelligent golf talk. Jeff and Holly talk about his latest story about the Web.com Tour. The discussion also covers the HP Byron Nelson Championship and Sang-Moon Bae's win. Also the upcoming Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Most of the European players are playing in the BMW PGA Championship in Europe, which is the Euro version of The Players Championship.

05/15/2013 The Golf Insiders

NOTE: Users can add The Golf Insiders podcast to their iPhone as an app now. Click here and go to the bottom of the device's screen to create the "Quick Launch" icon for the Golf Insiders. Once you've done this it will add The Golf Insiders podcast as an App to your home screen. Host Holly G and Rich B are in the studio talking about their recent match at Errol Estate Golf and Country Club in Apopka, Fla.  They are starting a Thursday night golf league with times from 5-6:30 p.m. The duo talk about Tiger's victory over Kevin Streelman, Jeff Maggert, David Lingmerth and Sergio Garcia at the The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Fla. Todd Lewis, The Golf Channel, calls in to talk about The Players Championship.  Todd feels that the story that people will remember is the tit-for-tat between Woods and Garcia.  But friction adds to the drama.  What happened motivated Tiger Woods. Holly asks Todd about Garcia's decision to tee it up again at the 17th after he hit his first shot in the water. Todd also recounts Garcia's inability to accept the blame for how he plays. Sergio has tremendous upside at 33 and Todd feels like he is maturing but also has to realize he hasn't lived up to what people expected him to become. Holly also talks to Todd about Tiger's errant shot on 14 and how it allowed a lot of players to get back into the hunt. Whether the shot was proper and improperly dropped the ball. Casey Wittenberg said it was the correct place. Rich B also talked about Casey's responsibility to watch his competitor and he did just that. Bob Harig, ESPN.com, calls in to talk to the Golf Insiders about all the news in the world of golf. "It was a heck of a golf tournament, his 4th win of the year." Bob feels that the win is overshadowed by the nonsense that has surrounded Sergio's complaint about Tiger pulling his club as Sergio hit his shot. Bob doesn't feel that Tiger was intentionally trying to interrupt Sergio's shot or pull gamesmanship. Bob also echoed Todd Lewis' comments that Casey Wittenberg told Tiger where to drop the ball, which was his call to make. Bob feels that a lot of liberty is taken on a weekly basis with the drops that follow a water hazard. 740 The Game presents The Heathrow Open set for Jun 17 at Heathrow Country Club for $55 per player. The 2-person scramble will be the Monday after the U.S. Open. Call  407-842-1452 to sign up. Jeff Shain, PGA Tour.com, calls in to wrap up the show and talk about the HP Byron Nelson Classic in Texas.  Jeff feels that Jason Day may do well since he has played well over the past few times. Marc Leishman is the other person who intrigues Jeff this upcoming week. Holly and Jeff talk about the field for the HP Byron Nelson.

05/01/13 The Golf Insiders

NOTE: Users can add The Golf Insiders podcast to their iPhone as an app now. Click here and go to the bottom of the device's screen to create the "Quick Launch" icon for the Golf Insiders. Once you've done this it will add The Golf Insiders podcast as an App to your home screen. Holly G and Rich Bianco are in the studio. Rich just finished competing in the North Florida Section Senior Match Play. He lost on the 18th hole of the quarterfinals. Bob Dixon eventually won the tourney. LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, 48-time career winning on the LPGA Tour including 3 major championships, calls in to the Golf Insiders from her home in Alabama. Nancy talks about life and that she recently became a grandmother when her daughter gave birth to Molly Dec. 16, 2012. Nancy and Holly talk about the the Legends Tour. The Legends Tour play 12 events culminating with the Handa Open Championship in November. The Tour was at The Villages this past weekend. Nancy Scranton earned her fifth career win at The Legends Tour’s inaugural $225,000 Walgreens Charity Championship. Nancy Lopez Golf provides everything for the ladies from clubs to apparel. Nancy believes that having the right club brings out the best in all players. Golf clubs are typically too heavy and designed for men. Nancy's company started designing clubs and grips for women. Nancy is excited that golf is coming to the Olympics. Bob Harig, ESPN.com, calls in to talk to Rich and Holly from the Wells Fargo Championship. Bob talks about the ruling with Vijay Singh and the ruling on Tiger Woods a few tournaments ago. In Bob's Birides and Bogies column, he feels that Vijay got off on a technicality. Bob said that Vijay committed the violation but they let him off. Gives golf a bit of a black eye. The USGA and the R&A released a statement in great detail about the ruling on Tiger's drop at the Masters. They should have talked to Tiger at the time they discovered the infraction. David Eger, Champions Tour player and former official, was the one who called it on Tiger and eventually saved him from being disqualified. Rich Smith, North Florida PGA ED/CEO, calls in to wrap up the show and talk about Friday's announcement that the HQ would be moving  from Daytona Beach to Reunion Resort. The North Florida section is the 4th largest in the country and runs from Jacksonville to Melbourne to Sarasota up to the panhandle of Florida. They have teamed with Salamander Resorts and Hotels to help grow the game of golf.

04/24/13 The Golf Insiders

NOTE: Users can add The Golf Insiders podcast to their iPhone as an app now. Click here and go to the bottom of the device's screen to create the "Quick Launch" icon for the Golf Insiders. Once you've done this it will add The Golf Insiders podcast as an App to your home screen. Host Holly G and Rich Bianco are in the studio. The Golf Insiders welcomes Active Life Chiropractors in Mount Dora as a sponsor. The duo congratulate Graeme McDowell on his win at the RBC Heritage. The two also talk about the new rule "Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b)". A new exception is added which exonerates the player from penalty if their ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that they did not cause the ball to move. Todd Lewis, The Golf Channel, calls in to talk about the RBC Heritage and Graeme McDowell outlasting the competition in tough conditions, especially Sunday, is remarkable. Todd also discusses McDowell's popularity in the United States. Holly talks to Todd about the upcoming Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the chances of Jason Dufner repeating. Terrie Purdum, Publisher Florida Golf Central Magazine, calls in to talk about the 14th Anniversary of the Magazine. Terrie talks about the love and support from the Central Florida community over the past 14 years. Jeff Shain, PGA Tour.com, calls in from the Web.com Tour event in Valdosta, Ga., to talk to Holly and Rich about the upcoming press conference at Reunion Friday with a major announcement. Speculation is that a new LPGA tournament may be coming to the Orlando area. Jeff also talks to Holly about McDowell's win at the RBC Heritage. The duo also talks about McDowell's restaurant Nona Blue. Holly also brings up very emotional Billy Horschel who is in the Top 5 after the first day of the Zurich Classic and has been doing well over the past few tournaments. Jeff feels that Billy would do well at TPC Louisiana since they have so many first time winners there. Jeff wraps up talking about the story he recently did on Orlando's Mason Kresge and his support for Autism Awareness.