It Will Be Tiger Again

I know what you are thinking. "Wow...gutsy call Lobeck." And I have to say I would be thinking the same thing if I were in your shoes.

But as they say, it is what it is, or in this case, it will be what it will be, which will be Tiger's 12th major.

Woods is undefeated when heading into the last round of a major as the leader or co-leader. If it were any other player, I would question the ability of the leader to bring this one home. Why? Because Medinah is playing like a normal PGA TOUR stop where birdies rule the world. Combine that with trying to bring home a major and you have problems. (How bummed out if The PGA of America right now? -14 after three rounds??????)

The leaders will need to continue making birdies. These greens are like big mounds of play dough and these guys are throwing darts at them. No pin is out of reach when you have zero roll. Usually pars rule the majors in the final rounds, but the guy who takes home the Wanamaker today will need 5 or 6 birdies minimum.

But, this is Tiger. He has a mindset and an approach where he will modify his game to match the situation. And golf is all about the frame of mind. Get this. Woods has won as many majors as Weir, Donald and Ogilvy have won tournaments on The PGA TOUR....COMBINED.

I do look for Donald to play well. He is a pretty cool character...but at what point do you start pressing when you are hitting 5 and 6 irons when your competitor is hitting 8 and 9 irons? Oh, and your competitor isn't just some long-hitting guy, it's Woods.

I will also predict that someone a few strokes back will post a great number and keep things interesting. In fact, I believe Johnny Miller's 63 could be at stake. The forecast is cool and dry, but there is no way those fairways and greens will dry out to the point of presenting a test worthy of a final round in a major.

Be ready for a shootout with Woods riding off into the sunset with his third Wanamker.

P.S. Here's another prediction for you a year out. Next year's PGA Championship setup will border on unfair as compensation for this year's birdie binge. Remember the winning score of The U.S. Open the year after Miller shot 63 to win? I believe it was called "The Massacre at Winged Foot" and Irwin stumbled away with the trophy at +7.

What is Pelz Thinking?

Hello....earth to Pelz. What the hell are you thinking? What are you trying to accomplish? What do you think you can gain for your player by stating that Mickelson is "the best" when his long game is in shape?

First, let's address the logic of the comment. Granted, Mickelson is a short game wizard. His flop shots and chipping skills are a pleasure to behold. He averages 28.92 putts per round compared to Tiger's 29.72 putts per round. But, you also need to consider the fact that Tiger is "numero uno" in greens hit in regulation, while Mickelson is 135th. It would only be logical that Mickelson would have fewer putts.

Secondly, and more importantly, why the "h - e - double tooth picks" would Pelz say what he said? Hasn't there been plenty of proof that Tiger uses these sorts of comments as motivation? Remember the "Tiger Who?" logo on the side of the hat of Vijay's caddy? Tiger dispensed of him in quick order.

Remember the Match Play Championship earlier in the year? Stephen Ames stated that Woods "manages to win tournaments as bad as he hits it." The result? Adios Ames...9 and 8, courtesy of Mr. Woods.

And there are other instances I won't bore you with. I think you get the drift. My suggestion to Pelz is this. If you really want Mickelson to have the best chance when going head to head with Tiger, focus on the short game and take a lesson from history when it comes to your quotes.

Advantage Tiger.

Fuzzy putting out on 11 where he won his Masters in sudden death. That's me and Crenshaw looking on. 

Third shot on 13. I thinned it over and made bogey.  

My tee shot on 12. Knocked it to 10 feet just on the fringe. Made par. 

My tee shot at hole #8. I ended up just short of the trap. 

Phil Alicea hits tee shot on #12 

Playing Augusta National Again

For those of you who have been diligent about visiting my blog to view new entries, I apologize. Thus far, this is been a POOR excuse for a DAILY blog.

Having said that, it should be known that we have been putting in countless hours on an Internet project that we are late launching. The site is www.GreatShot.com. You may want to check it out.

Let’s see, where do I begin?

We’ll start here. A few weeks ago, I had written up an article about my priceless gift to once again play Augusta National the Sunday prior to the The Masters. I played with Fuzzy, Ben Crenshaw and Scott Sayers (Ben’s agent.)

I was able to have my childhood friend named Phil Alicea walk all eighteen holes with us. Quite a treat for him, also. In fact, his local newspaper did an entire story on it. He even had a chance to hit a tee shot at the most famous par-3 hole in the world of golf, #12.

He cleared Ray’s Creek.

How did I play? Let’s say Billy Casper clipped me by one. I also had a chance to hole a putt and shoot the elusive 59. The problem was that I had that putt on the 9th hole.

I missed it.

I played the back nine much better, and posted 107. Believe it or not, my ball striking wasn’t bad. I am guessing I averaged 2.5 to 3 putts per hole, and my chipping was horrendous. Fuzzy was adamant that I putt everything out. Come to find out he had “over – under” bets with friends all over the country as to what I would shoot.

He won every bet.

But, I did par #12, and I did have Ben tell me I hit one of the best shots he has ever seen at Augusta National. I did this on hole #3 when I punched my second shot under some trees approximately 130 yards, glancing the mounds on the right, resulting in a shot that rolled like a putt to within seven feet. (I missed the putt.)

I also almost holed it from the fairway on #17 for eagle, coming to rest within 5 feet of the pin. Yep, you guessed it. I missed it. You have no idea how tough and demanding the short game is at this place.

On Tuesday evening, I traditionally drop Fuzzy off at The Champions Dinner, and then head to T-Bonz for a steak. I then pick him up after the Champions Dinner. As I am sitting in front of the clubhouse, there is a knock on my window. It’s dark, and I have no idea who it is.

It’s Fred Couples.

“Lobeck, you are an eight handicap, right?”

“Hi Freddie. Nice to see you. Yes, that is correct.”

“Can you explain to me how an 8 handicap shoots 107”?

“You hit the ball 107 times, Freddie.”

“But, Fuzzy tells me you feel you hit some quality shots.”

“I did, Fred.”

“Dave, how do you do that and shoot 107?”

“Freddie, I think you have the wrong courtesy car.”

The window glides back to its closed position as I hear the cackling of Freddie as he walks away.

Do these guys not have more to talk about than the score of a “chop” amateur?

Anyway, we came home Wednesday. Going into the event, I thought Fuzzy had a great chance to make the cut. He shot even par or one under when we played on Sunday. He was hitting the ball a long way, having just put into play Srixon’s newest ball, the “Z-UR.”

But then it rained, and then we had the 4-shot penalty that Fuzzy called on himself on the 4th tee. He had put a new set of irons into play after giving his set to a kid on the 18th hole on Sunday of The Toshiba Classic. Unfortunately, there was a Hybrid 3-iron and a normal 3 iron. Fifteen clubs, end of story.

Anyway, that’s a brief update. I will do my best to write daily. More comments from readers would definitely make this more interesting. I know there are a lot of readers because I see the traffic.

I’ll put a link on here when I get the pictures form this year’s round of golf at Augusta National.

All the best!

Rub of the Green

I love cooking. I especially love BBQ’ing, and so does Fuzzy.

We are in the process of redesigning the labels and packaging of Fuzzy’s BBQ and Steak Sauces, as well as creating a line of dry rubs.

The fun part is testing them, and that is what we have been doing while on vacation here in Destin, FL.

Fuzzy and I have come up with four rubs. They consist of a pork rub, a streak rub, a fish and poultry rub, and something called “The Kicker,” which can be used by itself, or added sparingly to the other rubs to enhance their “kick.”

I have used them now a number of times, and I have to tell you that I think we have a winner. They beat any other rub I have used, and trust me, I have used all of them.

My challenge will be getting these products carried at retail grocery store chains. It is awfully hard to compete against the bigger companies, who routinely pay “slotting fees” to get their product premium shelf space.

If anyone has any thoughts, let me know. I will certainly let you know when the rubs are available so you can try them for yourself.

All the best,

Dave

The Federal Judge Rules on Terri Schiavo

It’s a sad, sickening situation.

This morning, Terri Schiavo’s REAL family lost their appeal with the Federal Courts to reinsert the feeding tube into their daughters stomach. I suppose there are other appeals in the wings, but time is running out. No water or nourishment since Friday.

I say “real,” because the husband has long since moved on with his life, having shacked up with another lady and fathering two children with her. Good look explaining this one to those kids.

This raises an interesting question in my mind. If he has been living with this lady for over six years, aren’t they now engaged in common law marriage? And if that is the case, is he not committing polygamy?

And if he is NOT committing polygamy, then in essence, he has divorced his former wife in dead and in action. Does he then have the right to speak for Terri and control her very life? I would conclude that the parents should in fact be the current guardian for Terri.

Do ex-spouses have the right to end the life of their former partners in marriage? Isn’t that the logical conclusion of this argument?

Lots of discussion about the “ex-husband / polygammer” having things to hide. Broken bones on Terri that to this date are unexplained. Accusations fly freely through the air.

The “ex-husband / polygammer” has even revoked the visitation rights of the family while Terry lay dying only yards away from them.

(For you grammar checkers out there, I am not sure if “polygammer” is a real word.)

The lesson to be learned here is that we need to put our wishes on paper in the form of a Living Will. Do we want to live that way?

I am reminded of a story told by Chi Chi Rodriguez. He was discussing “quality of life” issues with a friend who was in his 50’s. This friend stated emphatically that he DID NOT want to live to be 100 because he wanted to live life in an active manner.

Chi Chi smiled and said…..

“We’ll see if you feel the same way when you are 99 and about ready to turn 100.”

My prayers are with Terri and the REAL family as they go through this painful end.

Live today like it’s your last.

All the best,

Dave

Hoosier Hysteria

Hey All,

There is nothing like Indiana high school basketball, aka "Hoosier Hysteria."

My son and I were able to attend the semi-state game in Seymour featuring my alma mater Washington Hatchets as they played the Rebels of Indianapolis Roncalli for the chance to move on to the State Finals in AAA high school basketball.

CLICK HERE to view the Hatchets homepage.

I live roughly two hours away from Washington, but it is a world away in most respects. With kids, activities, my own travel, etc., we make it back to Washington twice a year at the most, and most of that time is spent at my in-laws. For the most part, I have lost all regular contact with my classmates from the class of '81. It's sad, but it happens. My wife, Liz, is an '82 graduate of Washington Catholic. She is in the same boat.

Washington is a small town of 10,000 residents, fairly isolated in the sense that no major interstate comes within an hours drive. It is like most small Midwestern towns searching for an economic identity as they helplessly watch their Main Street dry up as business steadily moves to the outskirts of town where the Super Wal-Mart has been located for close to ten years.

Gone is Hagels Jewelry, Donaldson's Toggery, Murphy's Five and Dime, The Bell, Palmers, Sonny and Sis, The Wardrobe, J C Penny's, Kramers Toy Store, Raney's Shoe Store, the list goes on and on.

I worked at Donaldson's Toggery growing up, a locally owned clothier that cared for their customers and knew them by first name. Richard Donaldson, the owner, sang at my mother's funeral in 1979. He was always waiting to greet his customers with a smile and a story...his pipe always setting it's masculine mood and his quart of milk in the corner that he would occassionally take a quick swig from. Tim (his son) become one of my friends that I still stay in touch with. I was able to sit at the game with Tim and his wife, Kim.

"Ahhhh....so you don't like beans....ahhhhh????" (Private joke between Tim and I based on a Christmas movie starring Bing Crosby.)

Many young men and women worked at "The Toggery." We learned customer service, how to interact with and treat people, things that have helped all of us as we move into our own vocations. We also took with us an appreciation for small town main streets.

Washington is a town fighting economic issues whose parents realize that a majority of these kids will move away upon graduation. It is a town that loves it's basketball, drawn to it with a passion caused in part by a long tradition (state champions in 1930, 1941 and 1942) and a thirst to excel at something...a thirst to be the best.

The crowd of 8,000 was 2/3 black and gold, the colors of the Hatchets. I watched as people went by, recognizing some, but most were the faces of strangers.

I recognized Mark Arnold (an '81 grad) down on the floor keeping the kids under control. He is now Vice Principle at Washigton High School. Mark played for the Hatchets and still holds the record for highest field goal percentage. He loves what he does, and is no doubt a huge asset to Washington High School.

The game was instense and the crowd was bonkers for the entire game. We were standing for 3/4 of it. It was a classic match up. Heighth and finesse versus brut strength. Heighth and finesse won out, and the Hatchets had their semi-state championship, moving on to the state finals in Indianapolis for the first time in 63 years.

My son (Andrew) wanted to get down on the floor after the game just to soak it in. He was taken in by the atmosphere. He had never seen a high school basketball game like this. Games aren't like that where we are. Lots of entertainment options where we live with Louisville onlly 20 minutes away. High school games are not THE social happening here. That's why Washington his a gym that seats 7,200 for a town of 10,000.

Andrew loves basketball, and is a good player who looks forward to playing high school basketball at Providence High School. After the game, he told me he would remember this game for the rest of his life. I was glad he experienced it.

As we moved through the floor, I congratuated the Assistant Coach, Alan Bubalo. He is the Edward Jones Investment Representative in Washington lined me up with my first job out of college as an Investment Represnetative in Scottsburg, IN. I was with them for ten years before starting Fuzzy Zoeller Productions, with stops in Scottsburg, Kokomo and finally, New Albany.

I got a chance to greet Mark, then ran into his twin brother Mike (a.k.a "Pickle") as well as Mike Garland, who I played high school golf with, all '81 graduates. It was nice to see them, if only for a moment. There is something comforting and real about friends from that time in your life.

I also saw my brother-in-law, Jay Lengacher, as well as two of my nieces, Lindsey and Hannah.

One of the starting guards for Washington is the son of another classmate. That really hit me. Had it been that long? Am I really 41 years old?

I hope the Hatchets bring home the state championship. The town will go nuts. I also hope the kids do not view this pending accomplishment as the biggest thing they will ever do. Achieving such heighths at a young age can have a way of keeping you stuck in that moment for the rest of your life.

To the current Hatchet players, you CAN accomplish anything. Just keep growing and reaching. Your biggest achievements are still ahead of you.

All the best,

Dave

NCAA Pools

Hey All,

How are you doing on your NCAA pool? We did a family one, and my 13 year old son is kicking our butts, having picked 26 games correctly in the first round.

NCAA's signal the beginning of Spring here in Southern Indiana. We also have "Hoosier Hysteria" in full swing, with the semi-states taking place for boys high school basketball. Although not as compelling of a post season tournament since turning to class basketball, it is still high school basket ball in Indiana.

I am a 1981 graduate of Washington High School, home of the "Hatchets." They will be playing today to move on to the state finals in the AAA class. They have a starting line up that includes 6'11", 6'8" and 6'5". This coming from a town of 10,000 people that built a gym in the mid-60's that holds over 7,200 screaming fans.

The last state basketball championship they won was in 1941. Although I only get back to Washington a couple of times a year, it would be great to see them post another state championship.

Today's game will be in Seymour, a high school gym that holds 8,000. Getting tickets for me and my son (he wants to see 6'11" Hatchet senior Luke Zeller who has signed to play with Notre Dame before he graduates) was almost as tough as securing Masters tickets. It wil be fun running into classmates that I haven't seen for over 20 years. Go Hatchets!

On a serious note, this Schiavo deal is really bumming me out. We have NO IDEA what she feels, sees, understands...nothing.

The "husband" seems to have his own selfish motives. He already has a girl friend who he has fatered two children with, and he is hoping to keep the funds that were awarded to them for her therapy, most of which hasn't been used on her at all.

I believe that once he moved on to another relationship, he lost his right to speak on her behalf. She should be handed over to the parents.

I would be interested in your thoughts.

All the best,

Dave

Baseball's Problems

Wow. Did anyone watch those hearings yesterday? The pressure in that room had to be overwhelming, not only between the players themselves and the committee, but squarely on Mark McGwire’s not-so-broad shoulders.

Call me naïve, but at the time of the great homerun race between Sammy and Mac, steroids didn’t cross my mind. I just thought he was a huge, buffed up power machine. But, I have not been a big baseball fan, so I didn’t have the early version of Mac in my mind’s eye like I’m sure many baseball fans did.

I do have the current version of Mac, and he now looks like an ordinary guy since retiring. I also had the pleasure of meeting him briefly three years ago at The Toshiba Senior Classic, ironically the event Fuzzy is playing in this week. He was big, but looked much slimmer than what I expected. I have to admit that steroids did cross my mind then.

There is no doubt that Mac has taken steroids. Now that I am aware of the physical marks (acne, knee injuries, weight gain and loss, etc.), it’s obvious.

Mark McGwire is a nice guy, period.

I felt for him as the various congressmen and women took their shots at him even though he stated that he would not answer questions regarding the topic. In a setting such as this, he seemed to be a boy among adults. His responses were canned, lacking confidence and displayed naivity. I am certain they were carefully crafted by his attorney with no thought given to the PR damage he/she was about to inflict by sending him in with such a small list of canned responses.

“I am here to talk about the future.”

“I want to make something positive come out of this.”

“I will not talk about the past.”

Yikes….

I feel that in his opening comments, he exhibited the hurt he feels for now realizing in hindsight that kids have probably died trying to be like the hunked up version of Mac. He is a father, and since being removed from the arena spotlight, I am sure his thinking is a bit clearer and more introspective.

It’s a shame to see a good guy go down, but it is my opinion that his approach to the hearing yesterday has put at risk his chance of gaining entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I can’t stress enough how nice of a guy Marc seems to be. But, he made wrong choices in his climb to the top, and he will certainly pay for them one way or another.

And the biggest question of all. Where the hell was Barry Bonds? Supposedly he rubbed cream all over himself and injected things into his body not knowing what they where, only to find out later they were steroids???? If someone in baseball should have been sweating bullets in front of this committee, it was Bonds.

As it relates to Canseo, and as much as I hate to admit it, I feel what he placed in front of the committee was the truth. I do find it a bit disturbing that the fame he is regaining for himself will lead to more sales of his book, which from what I hear actually encourages the use of steroids. Supposedly, he has now changed his opinion and supports eliminating them from the game of baseball. While I am certain he spoke the truth yesterday, it is my opinion that his motivation in all he does and says is self serving in nature.

The entire scene was surreal, sad, and dripping with irony. That’s just the sort of thing that TV executives love to see on their 24 hour news programs.

I hope Mark and his people figure out a way to be accountable for his actions. As it stands now, he looks weak and self serving in his own right. I realize there are legal issues involved, but let’s hope all can come together and work out a compromise that allows these players to come clean and share with the youth of our country why their decisions were wrong and should not be followed.

All the best,

Dave

St. Patricks Day

Did you wear your green today?

I’m of German decent, with no Irish blood that I know of. But, we are all “mutts” when you get down to it, so I am sure there is a some green blood in me somewhere.

This day reminds me of one of my lifetime goals. I REALLY want to get a group of guys together and go play St. Andrews and some courses in Ireland someday. Unfortunately, I have other financial commitments for the time being that causes this goal to be fairly low on my priority list. (Three kids, parochial schools…need I say more?)

How about yesterday and the news? Robert Blake innocent????? Paaaalease! (Allie, that is NOT a misspelling)

Let’s see if I get this straight. He hates his wife (she did seem a bit despicable).

He asked two people to knock her off (although I guess the two potential “hit men” were a lacking in credibility)

He takes her to a restaurant and carries his pistol in with him. He takes her to the car and says he forgot his pistol. He walks back into the restaurant while she gets popped.

No blood or DNA on him anywhere. His gun wasn’t used in the murder, and the murder weapon was found in a dumpster.

Let’s see…..hit man? If he asked two stunt guys to kill her, wouldn’t it follow that he would have continued prospecting potential hit men until he found one capable of pulling it off?

He goes in to get his gun, the hit man does his job, he shows up acting like the distressed husband…badda boom badda bing.

If someone is a lawyer or better yet, a prosecutor, can you please tell me why the LAPD didn’t take that approach?

The other big story was the family of Lacy Peterson having their say during the sentencing hearing of Scott. Did anyone read those transcripts? Absolutely brutal.

And if you had any doubt that he did it, his reported lack of emotion, interaction or response should be undeniable proof that he murdered his pregnant wife. If you didn’t do it, how could you sit through that with no emotion and not want to say anything when it is your chance? Soulless and diabolical.

Let’s see, in terms of work today, we will be testing the online game for the first time which will be hosted at www.GreatShot.com. This online competition is so detailed that it takes over 350 separate programs to run. We are excited to see how it is progressing and will certainly report back to you.

Looking forward to your comments on any, all, or none of the above topics.

It’s another day, let’s enjoy it.

All the best,

Dave

Spring Approaches

Hey All,

I am guessing no one is reading these entries yet, but what the heck...I'll keep writing for my own therapy.

Spring is on its way, but it doesn't look or feel like it. Covered Bridge is still brown and dormant, and you can see your breath the entire day. It's been a really long winter here in Southern Indiana, but that could also be a function of my advancing age.

This year, I commit to working on my golf game. I have been swinging indoors through the winter on a really cool indoor simulator called P3Pro. I am also working on my mental approach, and have been reading "Zen Golf." I had no idea I was so negative about my game until I started reading that book.

Last year, I was lucky enough to tee it up with Fuzzy, Ben Crenshaw and his agent, Scott Sayers at Augusta National. Do you know how bad it feels when you get your one chance at playing Augusta and your game (both physical and mental) are in total disarray? If you care to see pictures of that day, they are posted on my website at www.GolfMyWay.com.

But, it was a year of highs and lows. Later in the year I posted a hole-in-one and won a car during the charity event Fuzzy and I started called The Wolf Challenge. (Don't worry; I donated the car to charity that night.)

I then played in "The First Tee Pro-Am" at Pebble Beach with Fuzzy, and again played like a dog. In fact, I developed the putting yips while there, and then beaned a lady behind the green on hole 8. Sculled a SW from ninety yards and popped her right in the ear. She was a sweet elderly lady, and asked me if I was a professional as she held her hand over her growing ear.

"No mam. We need to get you ice for your swelling ear."

Fuzzy comforted her, looked at me and just shook his head.

"Lobeck, this happens out here all the time, but typically not from 90 yards."

"Thanks Fuz."

I am told I am playing in that event again, and in the interest of gallery safety, I will get things worked out. I HAVE TO.

I actually use to be a fair player, a single digit handicap, and as a high school golfer did well enough to have some small colleges look at me. I made a team at an all-male engineering school, but the thought of four years of math and science sounded like a punishment. That was the end of my formal golf career.

I'll keep you updated on my improvements, or slips into golf Hades. (Oops, that wasn't very Zen-like.)

I would love to hear about some of the challenges you have with your golf game. Maybe through the process of sharing, we can help each other out and have a productive 2005 golf campaign.

All the best,

Dave

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

Hey All,

My name is Dave Lobeck, and I have decided to start my own blog. My primary focus will be the arena of professional golf, as I am President & COO of Fuzzy Zoeller Productions and have been for alost 8 years now. If you want to view detailed info about me, visit my website at www.GolfMyWay.com, the "About the Author" section.

Why would I start a blog? Well, for sometime I have been kicking myself to start a diary of sorts. In my occupation, I am very lucky to meet and get to know many interesting people and experience things many sports fans can only dream of. I suppose this is my way of seeing to it that they are saved and don't slip away from memory.

In addition to that, I have a number of interests on top of professional golf, which I will touch on regularly. Politics, cooking, current events, religion, anything that catches my attention on a given day and causes me to want to write.

That's where you come in. I hope you contribute to the dialogue, just as you would if we would sitting at a bar having a cold beer with my and my buddies.

Ask me questions if you care to. When you visit my website you will see that I have been lucky enough to experience some really cool things.

All the best,

Dave