Late yesterday, Ian Poulter sprinted from the 17th tee all the way to the green, putted out, and then teed off on 18 while his playing partner Dustin Johnson was still on the green and Phil Mickelson’s group was just walking off the 18th tee.  Why the rush?

By putting a ball in play on the 18th, Poulter and Johnson were able to finish their round even though the horn sounded to end play.  If the horn had sounded while they were still playing the 17th, they would have had to show up for a 7:30ish tee time this morning, play one hole, and then hang around for a few hours to start their 4th round.

I think DJ owes Poulter a drink for getting him a few extra hours of sleep this morning.

Defending champion Ian Poulter wasn’t feeling to good about being knocked out in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play yesterday.  Given that he wasn’t the only upset, he proposed a match with Tiger this weekend, and suggested that Paul Azinger could provide commentary.  Steve Stricker might want in on this thing too.

Honestly a Poulter/Woods grudgematch would probably draw ratings as high as any other match left to play this weekend.

And on a side note, how good did Martin Kaymer look yesterday?  If he keeps playing like that, it’s only a matter of time before the world #2 finds himself in the #1 spot.

Proving that Twitter really is the best place to keep up to date on the latest drama in professional golf (especially for the Europeans), Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood took some time to share their thoughts on Johnny Miller.

Westwood asked Poulter if he had already sent Johnny Miller his X-mas card yet.  Poulter replied by asking if Westwood had sent one himself, given that Miller had recently called Westwood and Paul Casey chokers.  He then threw in a slam about Miller’s putting.  Westwood then (half-jokingly?) stated that he was beginning to think that Miller was just anti-English.

This isn’t the first time that Miller and Poulter have had their differences.  But this go-round is interesting because in the same interview that Poulter was referencing, Miller specifically said that he thought Poulter was a good ballstriker and that he was just surprised to see that it didn’t show up statistically – although he did more or less name Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson as the biggest chokers in golf.  He didn’t exactly say that Westwood was a choker though as Poulter alleged.

WUP: What about someone like Lee Westwood, who some say has trouble closing out majors?

JM: Thing is about Lee — the way he plays in the Ryder Cup, he doesn’t appear to be a choker, but maybe for majors. Everybody has their choking point. The only thing that Tiger in his prime would choke is maybe winning the Grand Slam in the calendar year, but to be honest, he did win a non-[calendar] year Slam.

Say what you want about Johnny Miller, you can’t say that he doesn’t speak his mind.  And it seems like a pretty fair assessment to me.

At the end of all of this, I’m just left thinking about how boring golf would be without Twitter and characters like Ian Poulter and Johnny Miller.  It (Twitter) has basically become the Peyton Place of professional golf.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem w/ his Golden Goose, Tiger Woods

We all know that the Euros got the best of our last encounter at the Ryder Cup. I thought we were going to have to wait 2 years to see a rematch, but the PGA and European Tours are giving us a bit of a rematch less than 2 months later. Over the last few weeks there have been a series of escalating actions/reactions that have the potential to create dramatic lasting impacts on the landscape of professional golf.

If you haven’t been following everything too closely, here’s a quick rundown of what’s been going on:

• Non-American players win 3 out of 4 majors this year (Graeme McDowell – N. Ireland, Louis Oosthuizen – S. Africa, Martin Kaymer – Germany)
• Paul Casey and Justin Rose are left off of the Euro Ryder Cup team by Colin Montgomery (at least in part due to the fact that they play primarily in the US)
• Europe barely wins the Ryder Cup
• Lee Westwood takes over the #1 ranking from Tiger
• Anthony Kim is denied a medical exemption to keep his European Tour Card:  He only played 7 events but was 48th on the money list
• Rory McIlroy & Martin Kaymer decide not to be PGA Tour members for 2011 (Westwood said “no” as well but that was already expected).  They don’t like the FedEx cup format (who can blame them?)
• PGA Tour waves a big stick, threatening to limit PGA Tour events for McIlroy for the next 5 years if he drops membership
• Ian Poulter suggests he may have to rethink his tour membership choice

So where does that leave us?  We have the top professional golf tour in the world getting involved in a standoff with some of the best golfers in the world.  Ultimately I suspect that cooler heads will prevail and the desire to make money will allow all of the involved parties to reach agreements that keep everybody happy.

McIlroy may or may not follow through with dropping his tour membership.  But even if he does, the Tour will likely come up with a way to allow him to play all of the big events (like they do with Westwood).  Poulter will keep his Tour card.  The money in the US is too good and who wants to move from Florida to England?

What will be the impact on the PGA Tour?  Not much.  The Tour needs players more than they need the tour, but a few European players walking away isn’t going to have a dramatic impact on sponsors/attendance.  And if the money keeps flowing, not much will change.  If we get really lucky, this might cause some proactive thinkers at the tour offices to think about how the FedEx Cup could be revamped to be more understandable for the fans and less taxing on the players.  I’m not holding my breath though.

At the end of the day, the PGA Tour is still where the best golf in the world is being played and the biggest checks are being cashed.  That’s not going to change anytime soon.  However, we’re seeing the emergence of the European and Asian tours as legitimate alternatives rather than stepping stones.  We now have more opportunities to see great golf being played all over the world.  And to me, that’s never a bad thing.

(image: Flickr/Keith Allison)

Today Cobra Golf announced a new limited-edition “all-white” ZL Driver.  It’s been put in play by Ian Poulter and quite frankly looks bad-ass.  If Kenny Powers played golf, this is the driver he’d use.  But since they’re only going to make 500 of them, you’d better be quick and willing to pay a boatload of cash.

Of course you could always just have your current driver refinished white, but what fun is that?

Cobra Golf Launches Limited Edition “All-White” ZL Driver Played by Ian Poulter

Advanced Technology Driver Now Features Unique Cosmetics and Fujikura Motore Speeder Shaft

CARLSBAD, CA (November 4, 2010) – Golf enthusiasts will enjoy a winter white holiday season after all with the launch of Cobra Golf’s new Limited Edition ZL Driver, an all-white model loaded with the company’s latest technology and an upgraded premium shaft. This driver is sure to be in demand this holiday season.

Only 500 of the Limited Edition ZL Drivers are available globally, and each is individually marked with a production serial number. The Limited Edition ZL Driver utilizes advanced multi-material construction and Adjustable Flight Technology and is paired with a high performance Fujikura Motore Speeder shaft. This exclusive product is ideal for the accomplished player who wants a collectible driver with Tour-caliber performance.

“The Limited Edition ZL Driver is a distinct offering for our loyal customers,” says Brian Zender, Senior Vice President and General Manager of COBRA-PUMA GOLF. “The ZL Driver is regarded as one of the highest performing drivers in the market. The Limited Edition ZL demonstrates the unique attitude of the Cobra brand, and our focus on superior performance and innovative design.”

The new driver made its Tour debut this week, as COBRA GOLF staffer Ian Poulter – who plays the ZL Driver on the PGA Tour – teed up the all-white ZL Driver at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.

“It’s been a year since my first win with my Cobra ZL Driver, and what a better way to celebrate it than with this Limited Edition model,” says Poulter. “I like the visual of the new white ZL, it’s really very cool. It’s unique and different than any driver I’ve seen – plus its performance is great, too. It has the identical performance of the driver that I’ve won with twice.”

TOP-OF-THE-LINE SHAFT AND GRIP

The custom all-white, 46″ Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.0 shaft is an upgrade that has an MSRP of $399 if sold individually. It offers superior overall feel and stabilization for unparalleled distance and accuracy, and also features exclusive custom laser-etched graphics.

The white grip is a Golf Pride Tour Wrap 2G model. It’s a one-piece, simulated wrap with enhanced tackiness. Incredibly soft, it combines the look and feel of premium leather with the durability and performance of high-tack rubber.

ZL DRIVER TECHNOLOGY

As with the original ZL Driver, the Limited Edition ZL Driver features an optimized, traditional clubhead shape that maximizes distance, accuracy and forgiveness. Its multi-material construction includes the lightweight carbon fiber crown and sole, complemented by a 6-4 titanium clubhead body and clubface contributing to higher ball speeds and maximum distance. The clubface utilizes Cobra’s patented 9 Point Face Technology, bolstered by a milled rhombus, laser-welded face insert plus a thin titanium perimeter.

In addition, Cobra’s exclusive Adjustable Flight Technology features an adjustable hosel that golfers can quickly and easily set to one of three face angles (O-open, N-neutral, C-closed), to optimize ball flight and distance.

9 Point Face Technology
A milled rhombus face insert, surrounded by a thin titanium perimeter, creates nine points across a massive Sweet Zone™ that generate increased ball speed, even on off-center hits.

Advanced Multi-Material Construction
The carbon fiber crown and sole, titanium 6-4 body and face, along with the swingweight screw, provide optimal CG, MOI and spin characteristics for high launch, increased distance and control.

Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT)
Three face angle settings (open, neutral and closed) are easy to set, and allow golfers to find the one setting that optimizes their ball flight for maximum distance and accuracy.

The Cobra Limited Edition ZL Driver (MSRP $625) is available in lofts of 9.5º and 10.5º, in men’s right-handed with Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.0 stiff flex shaft. It will be available Dec. 15, but can be pre-ordered through participating retailers starting Nov. 15. Participating retailers will be listed at www.cobragolf.com.
###For more information about Cobra’s Limited Edition ZL Driver, visit us online at www.cobragolf.com, or contact Cobra Customer Service (800-917-3300)

Media Contacts:
Kristine Owens, International Public Relations PUMA, +1 617.488.1009, 
Todd Colburn, Senior Director of Marketing, COBRA-PUMA Golf +1 760.710.3344,

Ian Poulter has had the Ryder Cup in his possession for the last few days and has really been enjoying himself.  I’m sure some people will be offended, but honestly I think it’s pretty mild compared to what the Stanley Cup has been through.  Click the continue link to view the rest of the videos.

Poulter’s shenanigans include eating cheerios out of the cup with his kids, putting to the cup on the practice green, hitting balls next to the cup on the range, and driving around with it in his car.

By comparison, the Stanley Cup has been tossed into a cemetry, dropped kicked into a frozen canal, left on the canal overnight, forgotten at a photographers studio and used as a vase, used as a trash recepticle for cigar butts, forgotten on the side of the road, urinated in etc.  And that was all before 1940.

Honestly, I found the videos enjoyable, but hockey players make Poulter look like he’s on the Hooter’s Tour when it comes to partying with a championship cup.

It’s not quite as outlandish as Monty soundproofing the Euro locker room at Celtic Manor, but apparently Corey Pavin has ordered a twitter blackout for the US Ryder Cup team.  Really?  What key info are players going to tweet out to the Euros via Twitter?  I don’t think pictures of their monogrammed hotel pillows are going to cost them the Ryder Cup.

If Monty follows suit (and I suspect he will if he hasn’t already), we might see Ian Poulter have a nervous breakdown.

Twitter reactions came fast and were overwhelmingly negative (surprise!)

[update]

Rob at Sandbox8.com has posted a great breakdown of some of the twitter stats for the affected players.  I posted this in the comments and I’ll repeat it here:

I don’t think the US players would post anything damaging or distracting – just mostly amusing or interesting things that help bring them closer to the fans. Sometimes I think some individuals (ahem Corey Pavin) need to step back and remember that this is just a game and it’s really all about the fans. Without them, you don’t get to fly on a private charter jet to Wales to play golf for week and cash million dollar paychecks.

Twitter is a great way for star players to connect with their fans on a more personal level than ever before.  It’s shortsighted and counterproductive to cut off that line of connection to fans during an event like the Ryder Cup.

Not content to let Johnny Miller’s on-air comments drop after Brad Faxon’s prank a couple of days ago, Ian Poulter thought that posting a link to his European tour leading GIR stats on Twitter would prove that he IS a good ballstriker.  In reality, it just makes him look thin-skinned.  Who cares what Johnny Miller thinks… You’re a top-caliber player on the best golf tour in the world.  You make more money with a single win than Miller ever did in an entire season.

Thankfully, Brad Faxon stepped back in with a little reality check for Poulter (along with a nice dig at Miller):

This past weekend Johnny Miller said on the air that Ian Poulter is not a good ballstriker.  Ian Poulter, being the relaxed laid back guy that he is, immediately responded on twitter, basically saying that Miller was full of it, and that he thinks he does pretty well for being a duffer.

Enter Brad Faxon.  He saw an opportunity for comedic gold and seized it with gusto.  He sent Poulter the hat shown above, pretending to be Miller.  Immediately the interwebz were buzzing with talk of Miller and Poulter and a simmering feud.

Poulter, not realizing that Faxon was pulling one over on him, was not amused by the supposed gift from Miller:

But once he found out that it was Faxon, and not Miller that sent the hat, he seemed to take it in stride:

Score one for being late to the show as at least one golf blog got snagged hook, line, and sinker.