Alls well that ends well

Kelab Golf Negara subang had its 37th Annual General Meeting yesterday and in the elections for office bearers:-

President Tan Sri Dato Seri Megat Najmuddin Khas was returned unopposed. Congratulations Tan Sri. In the Vice President's contest, Pattis Naidu edged out Prof. Dr Jalani Sukaimi by 14 votes.

What supposed to be a close race for the Captain's post, turned out to be a one sided affair where the present Captain Dato M Harris Kudus bin Mohd Yunus won convincingly against his challenger Abdul Majid bin Md Yusuf with a majority of 164 votes.

The other two management committee members elected are:
1. Tan Aik Mong
2. Lt.Col. (R) Lim Ong Hong

Avid Golfer was informed that the Annual General Meeting also discuss the issue on the land.

To all those who have retained their positions and to all those who have been elected into office, please serve KGNS and its members well.

News from Tiger Woods

NEWSLETTER

September 16, 2008

By Tiger Woods

My rehabilitation is going well. Although I won't be able to swing a club until early next year, my left knee is getting stronger and the doctors are pleased with my progress. I just can't rotate on my leg and I still don't know what my first event will be in 2009.

As for being away from the game, there are definitely certain things I miss. I miss the competition, and I miss the preparation. If I tried to play now, you would see some of the worst shots you've ever seen.

I plan to watch the Ryder Cup this week, but I will not attend. U.S. captain Paul Azinger has my cell phone number and he or any US player can call me any time. If I can offer any assistance, I'm happy to help. I doubt I can do much, since I can't play practice rounds and am not privy to their team chemistry. I also don't know who is playing well, who is injured, and have no feel for how the course is playing. But I'll be happy to offer my opinion. I wish the American team well and hope they can bring back the Cup.

The next big event on my schedule is the fourth annual Block Party on Oct. 11 in Orange County. This year, we're looking forward to a gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Mario Batali and a musical performance from Seal, who was fantastic at Tiger Jam III back in 2000. The Block Party has been a huge success for us and is our way of thanking the local community for supporting the Learning Center. So far, the event has raised about $3 million for the Center's career exploration programs.

I recently spent time at my golf course design projects, Al Ruwaya Golf Course in Dubai and at The Cliffs at High Carolina in North Carolina, reviewing the progress of both. The two are going very well.

I also spent a couple days in New York, where we launched my new EA Sports video game: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. I attended a reception and U.S. Olympians Michael Phelps, Bryan Clay, Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor stopped by to say hello. I enjoyed hanging out with them, and Phelps was naturally exhausted. It was nice of him to stop by and wish me luck with my new video game launch. I watched most of the Olympics on television and have to say his performance was definitely one of the all-time feats of any individual athlete in one Olympics.

I also went to a New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox game with a few friends. Afterward, I caught up with my buddy Derek Jeter.

I was hoping to go see Roger Federer play in the U.S. Open, but it never worked out. He had reached three Grand Slam finals in a row and I was glad to see him win. We always give each other a hard time. He now has 13 Grand Slam titles and is one way from the record held by Pete Sampras. He's closer than I am to the record; I have 14 titles and Jack Nicklaus has 18. But I might be playing competitively a little longer than him.

As you have probably heard, Elin and I will become parents again, and we're as thrilled as you can possibly be. Elin is doing great and is perfectly healthy. The only difference this time is we're getting less sleep because of Sam. We didn't want to know if it was a boy or a girl the first time, and we're not going to find out this time.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and talk to you soon.

Tiger



TIGER'S TIP

By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor, Edited By Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau

Belt Buckle To The Target

For distance control from the sand, turn your lower body through the shot

I'm always amazed at the confusion over the lower body's role in green-side bunker play. Here's a rule of thumb: quiet lower body on the backswing, active lower body on the through-swing.

A lot of amateurs fail to consistently execute greenside bunker shots because they lock the lower body in place and get real handsy or armsy with the swing. As a result, they often decelerate through the shot, sometimes leaving the ball in the bunker.

Rotating your lower body toward the target helps propel the ball from the sand and assists in maintaining acceleration. Try this for a swing thought: Turn your belt buckle to the target.

For me, keeping my lower body and upper body connected throughout the swing is the key to controlling distance from greenside sand. If one or the other is out of sync, you can bet my percentage of sand saves will decrease.

Keep your lower body moving through impact, and you'll become a better bunker player.

Does your golf score matter

Tiger feeling better

August 12, 2008

By Tiger Woods

Things are lot better since I last wrote to you. I'm a lot more mobile, which is really nice. I can't catch Sam yet, but I'm getting close. The big thing is I've started my rehab and can ride the bike. I can't ride it hard - just motion - but am getting in two or three sessions a day.

As far as swinging a club, that's not going to happen until next year. I just don't have a choice. We simply don't know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee. Everyone's body reacts differently. I could putt right now, but I'm not going to do it.

I don't know what the doctors are going to tell me about playing golf down the road. I'm taking it day-to-day, week-to-week. All I'm doing every day is looking forward to my next day.

A lot of guys have checked in with me to see how I'm doing. It's been an unbelievable response and I really appreciate it.

Initially, I probably lost about 10 pounds because I wasn't working out. All of that was muscle. I've put about two pounds back on, but I'm still pretty light. I'm eating mostly raw and organic foods that provide the most nutrients.

I didn't watch much of the British Open and saw a little bit of the British Senior Open, because my friend John Cook was in contention. I watched some of the PGA Championship and want to congratulate Padraig Harrington on his wins at the British and PGA. As a two-time defending PGA champion, it was a lot more frustrating not to be competing and that hurts the most. I stayed plenty busy with my rehab and watched some of the Olympics on television. I did arrange the menu for the Champions dinner, and it was a combo of American and Swedish food. I want to thank the PGA for organizing that very special evening.

The thing I miss the most about not competing is the fight. I've gone through this experience before, so I knew what I was in for. I know I'm in no condition to beat anybody right now, so I don't have a problem with not being able to compete.

I recently went to Congressional Country Club to meet with the members about hosting the AT&T National from 2012 through 2017. It's a fantastic facility and the Blue Course is one of the best around. Our partnership with Congressional has helped us do some really neat things locally with the military and various charities. It's been a great partnership, and I hope to continue it.

Later this month, we're going to launch our new video game: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. We've made some exciting changes, like the new "true one-to-one golf swing," that I really think you're going to like. In fact, the game just recently won the Best Sports Game of E3 2008 for the Wii.

I've also been working with Gatorade on a new fitness drink. They have been so helpful during my rehab, trying to think of ways to expedite my recovery process. It's been a pleasure to join forces with them.

I'm also overseeing my golf course design projects in Dubai and North Carolina, and I'm really enjoying the work. Both projects are coming along nicely. I have eight holes rough shaped in Dubai, and we are hoping to start construction later this year in North Carolina.

I will definitely watch some of the Ryder Cup Matches and will be pulling hard for the American Team. I wish I could do more than root!

That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll talk to you soon.

Tiger

One hole behind

A man playing on a new golf course got confused as to what hole he was on.

He saw a lady playing ahead of him. He walked up to her and asked if she knew what hole he was playing. She replied, "I'm on the 7th. hole, and you're a hole behind me, so you must be on the 6th. hole."

He thanked her and went back to his golf.

Some time later, the same thing happened, and he approached the lady again with the same request. She said, "I'm on the 14th., you are a hole behind me, so you must be on the 13th." Once again he thanked
her.

He finished his round and went into the club house and saw the lady sitting at the end of the bar. He went up to her and said, "Let me buy you a drink to show my appreciation for your help.." He started a conversation and asked her what kind of work she did. She said she was in sales, and he said he was in sales also. He asked what she sold. She replied, "If I told you, you would only laugh."
"No, I wouldn't," he said. She said, "I sell tampons."

With that he fell on the floor laughing really hard.

She said, "See, I knew you would laugh."

"That's not what I'm laughing at, he replied. "I'm a toilet paper salesman, so I'm STILL one hole behind you!"

Tiger Woods on the recent AT&T and his knee

July 8, 2008

By Tiger Woods

First, I want to congratulate Anthony Kim for winning the AT&T National. He played a nearly flawless final round Sunday at Congressional Country Club, shooting a bogey-free 65 on a difficult golf course. Any time you can do that on such a great venue, it's no fluke. I called Anthony to congratulate him. I told him to keep working hard and that the sky is the limit. No reason to stop now.

I thought the event went very well. We had a diverse field, the course was in wonderful condition, and everyone had a good time. I think there were 14 players within five strokes of the lead starting play Sunday, so it was an exciting championship.

My thanks to AT&T, all the staff and members at Congressional Country Club, the military, the volunteers, the fans and the players for their hard work and support. Special thanks to Fred Couples for standing in for me during the opening ceremonies.

One thing I'm really proud of is that the money we raise at the AT&T National goes back into the local community. I'm excited about expanding my Foundation to the East Coast and making a real difference for the kids there. We're taking our time researching how to best help the local kids and hope to have something to announce soon.

As for me, it was tough watching the AT&T National on television. It's my tournament and I felt disappointed I couldn't be there. I'm sure I drove our staff crazy with all my calls and text messages, but I wanted to stay as involved as possible. They all did a great job!

Winning the U.S. Open for my 14th major title was an amazing accomplishment. I'd have to say it was the biggest win of my pro career. Some people have mentioned the 1997 Masters, but for me as a player, the U.S. Open was more difficult. I still don't know how I did it. Why did I do it? Am I that stubborn?

The three reasons I played were: 1) It was Torrey Pines, a place where I grew up playing and have had a lot of success; 2) I was comfortable on the course and knew the greens; 3) I knew it was going to be my last event of the year.

When I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee after the Masters, I knew my ACL was basically shot. I was just trying to get through the season, then planned to have reconstructive surgery. Unfortunately for me, I developed two stress fractures during my rehabilitation and that set me back.

I wanted to play in the Memorial Tournament, but couldn't walk. I just figured if I took it easy for a couple weeks, I would be able to play in the U.S. Open.

I was hitting the ball well enough. I wasn't hitting a lot of balls, but worked hard on my putting. It's amazing what happens when you practice your putting.

Once the pain subsided, I could hit four or five balls at a time and then I would have to sit down in the cart because the stress fractures hurt so much. Then I would hit a few more balls and go home for the day. That's how I got ready for the U.S. Open.

When I walked, my knee throbbed, but it wasn't a shooting pain. Most of the pain came when I swung the club. Certain shots I couldn't lean forward - that was the frustrating part.

I didn't really have a go-to shot because I wasn't sure where the pain was coming from. I hit a 40-yard pitch shot and felt I was going to fall over. Saturday was pretty bad, but Sunday was worse.

Honestly, I never thought about quitting. I was going to make it. I might have been slow, but I wasn't going to stop playing.

Would I do it again? Probably. I knew I could win; it was just a matter of dealing with the pain and executing. The day after the tournament, my knee was done. I couldn't stop limping. It's amazing what adrenaline does to a system.

As everyone knows, I'm a pretty active person and don't like sitting around. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice right now. Initially, it wasn't much fun. But I'm on the good side now and starting to get more sleep.

I have spent most of my mornings watching Wimbledon, the afternoon watching AT&T and the evenings watching the U.S. Olympic Trials. I also read and play video games. Anything to get me through the day.

Looking ahead to 2009, I have no idea when I'll return to competition. I haven't set a date, because I just don't know when I'll be ready. That's the frustrating part; I don't know what to look forward to.

The good news is that my stress fractures are healing. If I hadn't played in the U.S. Open, they would be almost fully healed by now. So, the surgery was a blessing in disguise. By the time I come back, they should be fine.

The thing I'll miss most about sitting out the rest of the season is not being in the fight. Everybody knows how much I love to compete. I was really looking forward to playing in the British Open at Royal Birkdale, where I finished third in 1998, and trying to defend my title in the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

I have been asked if I would consider being an assistant coach for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team in September. I wouldn't do it for a couple reasons: 1) I'm not on the team. 2) The event should be about the competitors and the competition. The guys will have plenty on their minds and I wish them the best. I'll be cheering loudly.

I'll be checking in when I can...

Tiger

Tiger's tips

By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor, Edited By Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau

My Chipping Basics

Stable wrists and a compact swing make greenside shots easy

Two of the main chipping problems I see with my amateur partners are trying to scoop the ball into the air and making too long a backswing. It's a good bet that neither will lead to a decent shot.

Several factors are involved in scooping, but it often can be traced to excessive wrist action. To eliminate active wrists, just firm them up. Without putting a death grip on the club, lock your wrists in their address angles so they don't break down through impact.

Playing the ball too far forward and setting too much weight on the back foot also contributes to scooping. I like to play the ball back in my stance on standard chips, with most of my weight on my left side. That helps promote a descending blow. Then all I have to do is trust the club's loft to get the ball in the air and carry it the right distance.

As for the backswing, keep it short, unless you're blessed with the touch of Freddie Couples or John Daly. When your swing is too long, the tendency is to decelerate the club and lose your spine angle. So keep the swing compact back and through. You'll hit crisp chips with great distance control.