2011 Gosling's Invitational Champ ~ Joe Horowitz

2011 Gosling's Invitational Champ Joe Horowitz with Malcolm Gosling

Congratulations go out to "native New Yorker" and Touring Professional Joe Horowitz!   Joe seized victory for the second time in three years (2008/2011) at the 2011 Gosling's Invitational held at the Belmont Hills GC in Bermuda November 28 thru December 1st.  The event hosted by Malcolm Gosling and Tournament Director Alex Maderios of To a Tee Bermuda  boasted one of the strongest fields to date with 50 professional golfers in a field of 96!   Heading into his final round in a 3-way tie for the lead and facing inclement weather conditions (which resulted in a 26 hole final round) Joe was paired with fellow New Englander and 2011 Senior PGA Championship winner Kirk Hanefeld and past winner Bill Walsh.  With an 8 ft. putt on #18 Joe siezed victory by a shot over runner-up Nick Kenney.

For those who may not know Joe's also a songwriter/musician whose music has been featured on the ABC soap opera All My Children as well as The Golf Channel.  A true blue New Yorker Joe also penned a fabulous song  Christmas in New York in tribute to his favorite city!   'Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la la ...

P.S.  You can find all Joe's music on iTunes at Joe Horowitz Musician. 

To listen to my Dec. 11th Goldie Bounce Golf Show with Joe Horowitz click on the podcast player below!

 

Rolling Stones ~ Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren)

2012 Champions Tour Rookie ~ P.H. Horgan III

P.H. Horgan III at the 1997 Honda Classic at TPC at Heron Bay in Coral Springs, Fla.


Congratulations to one of the newest members of the 2012 Champions Tour ~ P.H. Horgan III!   A former member of both the Nationwide and PGA Tours ~ racking up 3 Nationwide Tour wins as well as 13 Top Ten PGA Tour finishes ~  this self proclaimed "journeyman"  is also a huge mentor to local golfers ~ even trying his hand at running a New England Developmental Golf Tour based out of his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island.   P.H. Horgan's  journey thru the 2011 Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament started like this:  After missing medalist honors by a shot to Angel Franco at Regional Qualifying at the Palm Course at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando he advanced to the Final Stage in Scotsdale, Arizona at TPC Scotsdale Champion's Course ~ carrying with him not only his clubs but a huge confidence boost setting the tone for his fifth place finish earning him a coveted 2012 Champions Tour Card!  Possessing a combination of obvious staying power, skill and throw in a hefty thirst for competition P.H. will no doubt thrive in this his latest endeavor!  To listen to P.H. Horgan's 95.9 WATD Interview from Scotsdale, Arizona click on the podcast player below!

 

"Ask A Pro" ~ NEPGA's Larry Kelley

Larry Kelley with his family ~ wife Sandi and daughters Hope and Paige

 October 28th ~ The Black Rock Country Club in Hingham, MA. was the spectacular backdrop for a history making night for members of the New England PGA!   In a groundbreaking election at the 2011 NEPGA Fall Meeting ~ PGA Professional Larry Kelley of Vermont made history as the first non-green grass golf facility member (or non-traditional golf professional not working at a green grass facility) to be elected as an officer of the NEPGA as well as the PGA of America ~ comprising all 41 sections.   Larry also has the distinction as he is the first person to be elected to the chair of Vice~President of the New England Section because until this year the NEPGA was the only Section that did not have that position.

Incidentally those were not the only accolades that Ludlow,Vermont native Larry Kelley has garnered in the past year  ~ he also won the NEPGA's 2011 Bill Strausbaugh Award and VPGA's 2011 Vermont Professional of the Year! 

Larry's company 5-Star Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles (that's pronounced "Stahhh" in the Boston area) is the leading distributor of E-Z-GO golf carts in the country to boot!  Larry credits his many success' to "thinking outside the box and positive thinking and actions."  I spoke to Larry from Las Vegas ~ his company is sponsoring the 11th Annual NEPGA Las Vegas Pro-Am held at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort November 6 ~ 10th and there are about 250 NEPGA members from the greater New England area playin' in the event!  To listen to my Nov. 6th 95.9 WATD "Ask a Pro" interview with Larry Kelley click on the podcast player below

Metric ~ Gold Guns Girls

Frys.com Open Champ Bryce Molder

95.9 WATD Goldie Bounce Golf "PGA One on One" with 2011 Frys.com Open Champ and Nationwide Tour Alum Bryce Molder calling in from Sea Island, Georgia site of The McGladrey Classic.  Patience sure is a virtue 'cause Bryce's win at the 2011 Frys.com Open marks his first ever PGA Tour Career Victory in 132 PGA Tour Starts!  In a spectacular show of determination Bryce edged out fellow PGA Tour Pro Briny Baird in a 6 hole sudden death playoff (which btw was the longest playoff to date in 2011) to claim his title at the CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, CA!  Bryce has racked up 5 top 10 finishes in 2011 with his previous best finish ~ Runner-Up at the 2009 FedEx St. Jude Classic. 

To listen to Bryce's 95.9 WATD "PGA One on One" Interview click on the podcast player!

Cohasett Golf Club's Tara Joy-Connelly

Cohasset GC Tara-Joy Connelly with Wellesley CC Pam Kuong

Cohasett Golf Club Head Golf Professional ~ JP Connelly

Cohasset Golf Club recently payed tribute to member Tara Joy-Connelly's recent accomplishments!  Playing in only her second event this season after rehabbing from recent shoulder surgery local amateur golfer Tara Joy-Connelly made it all the way to the Semi-Final Matches of the United States Golf Association Women's Mid-Amateur Championship held at the Bayville Golf Club in Virginia this past week!  Fellow WGAM member Pam Kuong (2011 New England Women's Golf Association Champion and Senior Women's Champion) also competed in the event ~ making it to the Round of 32!  Both ladies along with Kristen MacDonald are in Savannah, Georgia this week ( Oct 4 - 6) playin' in the USGA Women's State Team Championship at The Landings Club on Skidaway Island!

Click on the podcast player below to listen to Tara's Interview

2011 Deutsche Bank Championship

WATD's Liza Churchill with 2011 RBC Canadian Open Champ Sean O'Hair at the scoring booth after his 3rd round



WATD's Liza Churchill with 2011 The Barclays Champ Dustin Johnson ~ PGA Tour Playoffs for the Fedex Cup 2nd event The Deutsche Bank Championship



WATD Sports Reporter Liza Churchill with PGA Tour player Graeme McDowell at the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston

*** pics courtesy of photog Pat Eastman

Caddie Carousel Part Deux!

 August 8th Goldie Bounce Golf Soundbytes of the Week from The Reno-Tahoe Open and The Bridgestone Invitational!

 

CBS Sports David Feherty caught up with Adam Scott's new caddie Steve Williams as he was coming off 18 after his 8th win at the WGC ~ Bridgestone Invitational  (that's 7 with former boss Tiger btw).  Williams' comments did not stop there however and he continued on to a full media scrum!  This is probably "the most press any caddie has ever received - ever!"  The backlash has been swift with many Touring Pros and fans agreeing "it wasn't a good look" for Steve Williams to talk so much after the event eg Steve should know his place as a caddie and not take full credit or over shadow Scott's performance.  2011 Bridgestone Invitational Champ Adam Scott seemed unfazed by it all laughing and joking during his post-round presser and when asked if he was concerned about Steve's post round harsh comments about Tiger overshadowing the best day of his life in terms of being a professional golfer Scott responded, "I don't know what to say about that. That's between those guys. I'm not involved in it at all, and they know that. I'm just out here to do my job. They'll figure that out themselves. They're both men.  Only time will tell ...

               

PGA Tour Pro Matt Bettencourt

95.9 WATD Goldie Bounce Golf "PGA One on One" with 2010 Reno Tahoe Open Champ Matt Bettencourt calling in from Montreaux Golf and Country Club in Reno, NV!  Matt's set to defend his title amidst a strong field this week (including10 Major Championship winners) and switched up back nines (architect Jack Nicklaus' original design).  Bettencourt's been battling a bit of bursitis in his elbow this season and made the mistake of trying to play through it but feels healthy and excited for a strong finish this season.  Tee time is 7:44 am tomorrow along with Jason Bohn and pal Rocco Mediate.  Btw Matt's new caddie Matthew Achatz is Rocco Mediate's now old caddie but Rocco gave his full blessing to the union!  Should be interesting 'cause at this event last year Achatz was on loan to Bettencourt from Mediate (who was busy commentating at the British Open) and the duo won! 

To listen to Matt's 95.9 WATD "PGA One on One" Interview click on the podcast player!

PGA Tour Rookie Scott Stallings

95.9 WATD Goldie Bounce Golf "PGA One on One" with 2011 Greenbriar Classic winner PGA Tour Rookie Scott Stallings!  Scotts  3 ~ way sudden death playoff at the Greenbriar earned him a last minute spot in this week's World Golf Championships ~ Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, OH!  A diehard Boston Sports Fan Stallings was actually born in Worcester, MA but moved to Tennessee when he was 3 hence the southern drawl.  When Scott hits Boston for the 9th annual Deutsche Bank Championship FedEx Cup Playoffs he plans to attend a Red Sox vs. Yankees game at Fenway ~ an early 4th Wedding Anniversary present courtesy of his wife Jennifer.  One fact you may not know about Scott is that he and his wife are bloggers ... yup you can follow Jennifer as she chronicles their Life on the Road and Matt at BNET Chief Executive Golfer   

To listen to Scott's 95.9 WATD "PGA One on One" Interview click on the podcast player below!

PGA Tour Pro Tom Gillis

95.9 WATD FM  Goldie Bounce Golf  "PGA One on One" with PGA Tour Player Tom Gillis calling in from The Greenbriar Classic held at the historic Greenbriar Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  This year there have been a few renovations to the Old White TPC Course such as tightened fairways, bentgrass added to the fairways and greens and 200 yards added to the scorecard and a few players have remarked that the course is playing much more difficult than last year.  Gillis' best career year out on tour was 2010 ~ 3 Top Ten finishes, 43rd on FedEx Cup Standings and #118 Official World Golf Rankings and when I asked if it was hard for him to "follow in his own footsteps" in 2011 with the twenty-somethings winning 11 PGA Tour events and thirty-somethings 12 so far this season.  Tom said "I thought I'd have a little bit better year to this point I missed 8 weeks due to a back injury (at Bay Hill) in March and  April and that kind of derailed me cause I was just getting some momentum ... I can still have a better year and lookin' forward to the playoffs ~ can't wait to get to Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship."  Tom's tee time Thursday is 8:20 am along with Woody Austin and Andre Stolz.  Best of luck to all!

*Btw Gillis has 9 hole in ones to his credit ~ a paltry sum compared to Sam Sneads "35" shot at The Greenbriar!

Click on the podcast player to listen to Tom's 95.9 WATD Interview

Welcome to the Caddy Carousel

Goldie Bounce Golf Sunday July 24th Show!   The hottest trend on the PGA Tour  seems to be "The Caddy Carousel!"  To name few players who've parted ways with their besties recently ~ Martin Kaymer, Darren Clarke, Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Sean O'Hair, Kris Blanks and most notably this past week Tiger Woods.  With so many top players switching up their caddies I called  Noah Zelnick  (who btw is a Caddy for PGA Tour Player Michael Bradley)  for his "professional perspective" regarding the situation.  Noah was on his way to the Greenbriar Classic in West Virginia to caddie for his boo Michael Bradley but he took the time to fill me in a bit and added "A caddy with a good set of eyes is as important if not more important than a really good teacher."  As for Tiger's new caddie ~ he cited Camillo Villages' former looper and Nationwide Tour Player Brett Waldman as the best man for the job.  OK.

And the trend continues ~ after my show aired I noticed last nite that caddy Kip Henley (PGA Tour player Brian Gay) announced via Twitter  "Me and BG r dun. Please don't ask questions. I ain't answering them.  I hope we remain close. I love his family and I wil mis  bein the Gay caddy."

Check out the Professional Tour Caddies of America for more info on PGA Tour Caddies!

 

 

Click on the podcast player to listen to PGA Tour Caddy Noah Zelnick!

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers ~ The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

2011 Kodak Challenge Leader Bill Lunde

PGA Tour Pro Bill Lunde after winning the 2010 Turning Stone Resort Championship

This week's 95.9 WATD Goldie Bounce Golf "PGA One on One" featuring 2011 Kodak Challenge Leader PGA Tour Pro Bill Lunde ~ calling in from Annandale Golf Club site of this week's Viking Classic!  Bill's had two top ten finishes this season (T12th at Hyundai and T13th at The Hope) and has one PGA Tour win ~ the 2010 Turning Stone Resort Championship!  Lunde has played 16 Kodak Challenge holes thus far leading with a score of -13 heading into this week's event ~ btw this week's Kodak Challenge hole is the par 5 Hole #18 ~ 532 yards.  Best of luck Bill!

Click on the Podcast Player to listen to Bill's 95.9 WATD Interview!

"Ask a Pro" ~ NEPGA's Brian Bain

PGA Professional Brian Bain with 2011 US Open Champ Rory McIlroy

 NEPGA's Brian Bain is the Head Golf Professional at The Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course in Brookline, MA  Extremely active within the New England Chapter of the PGA of America Brian’s main focus is growing the game through Junior Golf and is one of a handful of U.S. Kids Golf  Master Kids Teachers  in the United States.  Through is efforts along with the First Tee National School Program The Baker School in Brookline has recently implemented the SNAG golf program for students.  Brian's also a regular contributor to The Boston Globe's Golf Tip of the Week and continues to serve on numerous NEPGA and PGA Committees and has won countless awards.  When I asked Brian where he finds the time to accomplish all that he does he told me " I'm extremely fortunate to hold the position that I do at The Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course for the past 9 years for I am encouraged and supported to participate in the community and grow the game of golf as much as possible."

Click on the Podcast player to listen to Brian's July 10th Goldie Bounce Golf Interview!

Florence and the Machine ~ You've Got the Love

New England PGA Junior Tour

NEPGA's Manager of Junior Golf Operations ~ Jacy Settles and intern Ben Vandal joined junior golfer Zach Staub and his Mom Shelly for a tour of  95.9 WATD FM studios before their interview to air on Sunday July 3rd Goldie Bounce Golf Show!  AP Award winning News Anchor Steven Dodrill sure gave the New England PGA Junior Tour players  a taste of “how we roll” at WATD ~ local breaking news such Whitey Bulger and former mob boss under Whitey ~ John 'Red' Shea! 

PGA Tour Rookie ~ Kevin Chappell

95.9 WATD FM Goldie Bounce Golf "PGA One on One" with PGA Tour Rookie Kevin Chappell calling in from Cromwell, Ct. ~ site of the 2011 Travelers Championship!  Kevin's coming off a T3 finish last week at the 2011 US Open also garnering "low american honors" (along with Robert Garrigus).  Kevin's hoping to "go low" this week at TPC River Highlands!

Click on the podcast player below to listen to Kevin's 95.9 WATD Interview!

                                              

2011 CVS Caremark Charity Classic Champs!

Birthday Boy PGA Tour Pro Matt Kucher  (33!) had a double celebration after his win at the 2011 CVS Caremark Charity Classic at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington!  Matt along with playing partner Zach Johnson carded a record score of -24 under par to sieze the victory!  Morgan Pressel and Davis Love III came in a close second with a score of -22!  Good Times had by all with a birthday celebration on 18 for Matt Kucher and his family after his win!

Click to listen to PGA Tour Pro Matt Kucher!