Thursday, August 14, 2014

Monday, August 11, 2014

VictRory at Valhalla
Imagine being three shots off the lead starting the back-9 on Sunday at the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

Imagine chasing Rickie Fowler, the hottest player on Tour in majors this season, and Phil Mickelson, one of the greatest players of all time. 


And imagine you're not even close to having your best stuff. 


Rory McIlroy, the baby face killer from Northern Ireland, showed sometimes you can win just with heart. 


 

 

Rory McIlroy.  2014 PGA Champion.  All heart. 

 


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Friday, August 8, 2014

2014 WBC-Bridgestone Invitational Round 3
Click the title link for pictures and videos from Saturday's round 3 at Firestone Country Club 

 



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2014 WBC-Bridgestone Invitational Practice Round
Click the title link for pictures from Wednesday's practice round at Firestone Country Club 

 


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The PGA Championship Giveaway: A One Year Subscription to Golf Digest, Golfweek, or Golf Tips Magazine

Golf's final major, the PGA Championship, is underway. But when a new champion is crowed on Sunday at Valhalla, it's going to be a long eight months until the next major. 

To help you with your major championship withdrawal, and because this is the fourth major of the season, I'm giving away a free 1-year subscription to FOUR of my followers on twitter




The winners can choose from Golf Digest, Golfweek, or Golf Tips Magazine. 

  

Entering is easy.  Look for my PGA Championship subscription giveaway announcement.  Then just retweet and follow me @PGAPappas to be automatically entered. 

Four winners will be announced Monday morning following the conclusion of the PGA Championship.  Good luck! 


Follow Pete on twitter @PGAPappas

Monday, August 4, 2014

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Giveaway: WGC Caps or Visors Anyone?

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is in the books, and it had just about everything a golf fan could want.  Excitement, drama, and a star-studded leaderboard on Sunday. 

Rory McIlroy came from behind to overtake Sergio Garcia for his first World Golf Championships title.  Tiger Woods future once again plunged into uncertainty re-injuring his back.  And of course Dustin Johnson was an early withdrawal for personal reasons that still has the golfing world talking. 


It was a memorable WGC-Bridgestone to say the least.  And so I picked up a few things I think you're going to love. 



    

Every day this week I'll be giving away WGC-Bridgestone caps or visors to one my twitter followers.  We'll have four total winners, one each day Monday through Thursday. 

Look for my WGC-Bridgestone giveaway announcement.  Then just retweet and follow me @PGAPappas, and say "cap" or "visor" to be automatically entered. 

    

One of the four winners will also go home with an autographed cap from Graham DeLaet.  And I might even include some WGC-Bridgestone practice balls the players actually used for all the winners. 

Have fun with this one.  Winners will be announced every morning at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Friday.  Good luck! 


Follow Pete on twitter @PGAPappas

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Meeting Kevin Streelman

Everyone roots for the big names on Tour.  Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, they all move the needle.  They're major champions.  And they have millions of fans. 

But as easy as it is to root for these players, it's even easier to root for Wilson Golf staff pro Kevin Streelman. 


I had the pleasure of meeting Streelman at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this week.  And I can tell you assuredly, Streelman's as down-to-earth and real a person as you'll ever meet


A lot of players don't really speak with you when signing autographs.  That's understandable.  They usually won't shake hands.  And you can't blame them, they're often tired and only have so much time.  But Streelman is different. 


                 

As Streelman signed my Wilson Staff 8802 putter headcover, we exchanged a few words, like old friends, and also shook hands before he went back to practice. 

I barely had enough time to wish Streelman good luck, before a group of strangers approached me and asked what we talked about.  So I told them I won a new Wilson Staff 8802 putter in a contest that celebrated Streelman's victory at the Traveler's Championship this year. 


And that Streelman came from behind to win the Traveler's by making seven-consective birdies on the final seven holes, the only player in Tour history to ever do that. 


Streelman's victory celebration at the Traveler's was wild.  He ran through the crowd slapping hands with everyone in the gallery.  It was the kind of scene you only see in the movies. 


So Wilson Golf decided it'd be fun to have a contest asking golfers, "How would you celebrate seven consecutive birdies?"  And my celebration was "The Streelman Splash."  


       

It made me chuckle when everyone then followed Streelman back to the putting green to watch him practice. 

Streelman had a rough week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, beginning in the opening round when his ball somehow stuck to the side of a tree, about eye-level, embedding under some bark.  How does that even happen? 



                

But when I saw Streelman again a few days later, during the rain delay on Saturday, he still smiled, waved, and said, "Hi Pete." 

Streelman's story is compelling.  He's guided by wholehearted love for family, unwavering and steadfast faith, and an iron-will that only comes from rugged persistence and dedication. 


And after 12 years of caddying, grinding on mini-tours, and plugging away on Tour, Streelman earned his first PGA Tour victory in 2013. 


Let's face it, we're often fans of professional athletes simply because they're professional athletes. 


I'm a fan of Kevin Streelman, just because he's Kevin Streelman. 



Follow Pete on twitter @PGAPappas