Miracle Birdies - Helping Others

CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH  JIM FURYK

2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year Launches New Miracle Birdies Program to Raise Funds for Children’s Hospitals

SALT LAKE CITY (April 13, 2011)—Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals^® a charity that raises funds for 170  children’s hospitals across North America, announced today a new partnership with 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedEx Cup champion Jim Furyk. Furyk has named Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as his charity of choice for the next two years.

 To kick off the partnership, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Jim Furyk are launching Miracle Birdies, a new fundraising program in which individuals, groups and sponsors can make a monetary pledge for each time Furyk makes a birdie during his tournament play in 2011. Each individual’s entire donation will be donated to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Individuals can participate by signing up at www.MiraclesBirdies.com.

 "I am honored to be partnering with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the important cause of raising money for children’s hospitals,” said Furyk. “Through our ongoing support of one such hospital—Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Florida—my wife and I have witnessed many of the miracles that happen through the generosity of others. My hope is that together we can all create many more through the Miracle Birdies program.”

 “Jim Furyk is committed to our cause of saving the lives of children across North America, and we are appreciative of his support and the generosity of fans who will contribute to the Miracle Birdies program,” said John Lauck, President and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Through Jim’s extraordinary talent and career success, he will be a strong voice in motivating his supporters, sponsors and other individuals and groups to raise funds for sick children at hospitals in communities across North America.”

 Fundraising through the 2011 Miracle Birdies campaign is slated to begin in April at The Heritage PGA TOUR golf tournament and will conclude in October at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Orlando, Fla. In addition to supporting the Miracles Birdies program, Furyk will sport the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ logo on his hat during tournament play. For more information on Jim Furyk’s Miracle Birdies, visit www.miraclebirdies.com.

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About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals across North America, which, in turn, use the money where it’s needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, ensuring that every dollar is helping local kids. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4 billion, most of it $1 at a time. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of our mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Learn more at CMNHospitals.org.

 Please go to the link and pledge whatever you feel you can - thanks!

Heritage Notebook

Observations from another fantastic Heritage tournament:

• Can golf course designers please be forced into watching the Harbour Town broadcast? You don't need to build 8,000 yard behemoth golf courses to make the game a challenge.  Just about every hole at Harbour Town is memorable and above all else, interesting. No wonder the players love this golf course!
• The toughest hole on Sunday was the par three 14th hole. It played to a stroke average of 3.472 and a paltry 20 out of 72 players managed to find the green!
• The back nine on Sunday was brutal - it played to a stroke average of 36.847.  Almost 2 strokes over par!
• Every hole on the back nine at Harbour Town played over par on Sunday, including the par-5 15th hole (5.028).
• Only one player out of the top 10 finishers played the final nine in under par - Kris Blanks shot a 1 under 34.
• All six past champions of the Verizon Heritage competing this week made the cut: Boo Weekley (T12), Stewart Cink (T15), Aaron Baddeley (T22), Brian Gay (T32), Glen Day (T53) and Davis Love III (71).
• Ricky Barnes followed up a T10 at last week's Masters Tournament with a T5 on Sunday, making him the only player to post top-10 finishes in both events.
• Hats off to Brian Davis for his honorable call in the playoff. Davis called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the only playoff hole after touching a loose impediment during his backswing (Rule 13-4).
• John Vander Borght explains what went wrong during the playoff and why it was, and should have been, a penalty.
• Jim Furyk is now 3-7 in playoffs, while Brian Davis falls to 0-1.
• The victory is the 15th of Furyk's career and comes in his 419th PGA Tour start.
• Ricky Fowler looked like a hunter in the Wisconsin woods on Sunday. Dressed completely in orange, he called the color "Okie State orange". I thought they might simply be trying to track him from outer space!
• Player stats:

Driving Accuracy - N. O'Hern 91.07% (field 68.05%)

Driving Distance - G. DeLaet 295.6 yds (field 272.9 yds)

GIR - B. Weekley 75% (field 56.77%)

Total Putts - B. Molder 24.75 (field 27.39)

• Bogey-free rounds :

R1 -- T. Immelman, B. Molder, N. O'Hern and S. Appleby R2 -- B. Molder, B. Baird, C. Villegas, S. Levin, S. Ames, P. Casey, B. Adams R3 -- J. Furyk, B. Davis, S. Ames, B. Baird, L. Donald, B. Weekley, T. Gillis, O. Uresti, C. Tidland R4 -- None

• Srixon hit the jackpot at Harbour Town with two players that use their equipment dueling it out in a playoff.  Here are a few interesting notes  on the two golfers and their respective bags from Adam Barr at PGATour.com
• See what the local newspaper, the Island Packet had to say.

Jim Furyk on being presented with his new red tartan jacket:

I'd like to say I make it look good, but I know that's not the case.            

I so hope that this special community and event can find a way to procure a sponsor.

The Grip and How it Pertains to Impact (Part 1 of a Four Part Series)

This is the first in a four part series looking at the three primary factors that pertain to a solid impact position.  They are:

1. A strong grip
2. A balanced set-up
3. Centered body motion (two parts)

In studying the top golfers of all time it has become increasingly apparent to me that the grip plays a big role in a golfer's ability to achieve a proper impact position.  The vast majority of major winners has a grip that favors the strong end of the spectrum vs. the weaker end.  In fact the only two golfers I can think of that have had a noticeably weak grip and managed to win a major are Ben Hogan and Jose-Maria Olazabal - all the rest have been neutral to strong! Patty Berg, the winner of more majors than any other woman, had a grip that would rival that of Paul Azinger, David Duval and Boo Weekley- all notoriously strong grippers.  I don't think this is by accident.

The primary reason why a strong grip is apt to be more consistent, and thus more successful than a weaker grip is because it allows the golfer to lead with the handle into impact without concern for squaring the clubface.  Try this: take an iron and set up.  Now push your hands forward, paying attention to what happens to the clubface.  Two things should have occured; firstly, the face should have been delofted.  Check... we want that!  Secondly, the face should have rotated slightly open... we don't want that!  This is where a strong grip serves to keep the face square while the handle leads the clubhead into impact.  A player who utilizes a weak grip is prone to active hands and that decreases the player's ability to lead with the handle and ultimately compress the golf ball.

A secondary reason why a strong grip proves to be more successful is due to the fact that now in order to hit a straight shot, the hands must remain quiet through the hit.  We all know that quiet hands are ultimately more consistent than active hands.  It is certainly easier to keep the hands passive than to attempt to time a flip through the impact zone.

Try a stronger grip - it should ultimately allow you to hit crisp and penetrating golf shots!

Notes from Heritage Week:

• Aaron Baddeley is no longer a Stack-n-Tilter! "Too low!" he said when asked why. The few tee balls I saw were definitely higher than I'd seen from him in the past.
• Trevor Immelman was kind enough to give my son his glove and I was amazed to see he wears a men's cadet small!
• Zach Johnson has only had two hole-in-ones!
• Boo Weekley is exactly what the PGA Tour needs.
• The players love Heritage week - the whole atmosphere is just so relaxed and enjoyable. Couple that with a great golf course and you've got a recipe for success.
• Brian Gay is an example of how the PGA Tour is an 'equal opportunity' employer. You don't have to be 6'5 and hit it 320 to win out there.
• The top five finishers at the Masters were a combined -55 and the top five finishers at Harbourtown were -58. Sure the field is not as strong as at Augusta, but Brian Gay did put up a record performance. The Pete Dye lowcountry gem is as good as any course in the world!
• Did anybody notice how steady Brian Gay was over the ball. No lateral move whatsoever!
• Ernie Els is a great supporter of the Heritage event. The tournament vibe just seems to fit with his own - he's not the "Big Easy" for nothing!
• Ian Baker-Finch is a class act and I am pleased to see his increased role with the CBS broadcast team.