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Video: The Claw Grip

Claw Grip for Putting

If you're yippy with a conventional putting grip, "the claw" grip is one alternative method to try.

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Golf Spotlight10

This Week: Pebble Beach and Dubai

Monday February 6, 2012
The PGA Tour is at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this week, while the European Tour plays the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Tiger Woods switched up his early season schedule this year and is playing at Pebble Beach. Some fans might have the impression that Woods loves Pebble Beach Golf Links; it's an iconic course, he's won this tournament before, and he dominated the 2000 U.S. Open on this course.

But this is the first time since 2002 that Woods is playing the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Scuttlebutt over the years was that Woods hated the bumpy poa annua greens at Pebble Beach; since 2002, he had only returned once for the 2010 U.S. Open. And at that Open Woods slammed the greens.

Yet, here Tiger is, playing the Pebble Pro-Am again. Go figure.

Other "name players" in the field include Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Geoff Ogilvy, Ian Poulter and Nick Watney.

The defending champion is D.A. Points. And, of course, Bill Murray is among the celebrities playing. (But not everyone appreciates Murray's participation.)

The defending champ at the Dubai Desert Classic is Alvaro Quiros. Some of the bigger names in the field include Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Molinari brothers and Thomas Bjorn. A couple of Champions Tour players - Fred Couples and Mark O'Meara - got sponsor exemptions, as did youngster Peter Uihlein. John Daly, coming off a fourth-place finish at last week's Qatar Masters, is also entered.

Past champions and tourney trivia:
Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Dubai Desert Classic

Course photos:
Pebble Beach pictures
Emirates Golf Club

Remarkable Reversal for Kyle Stanley

Sunday February 5, 2012
Last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, Kyle Stanley - trying for his first PGA Tour victory - suffered a final-hole meltdown. Needing just a double-bogey or better to win, he made a triple-bogey 8, then lost in a playoff.

Confidence shattering? Not for Stanley.

On Sunday, Stanley got that first PGA Tour victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and he did it with one of the biggest final-round comebacks in tour history.

Stanley started the final round in Phoenix eight strokes off the lead, then fired a 65. He finished at 15-under 269, making a short but nervy winning putt of about the same length he missed a week earlier on the final hole of the Farmers.

So just a week after a horrible finish to lose, Stanley came back with a magnificent round to win. Bravo.

Stanley's comeback from 8 behind with 18 to play for the win ties for the third-biggest final-round comeback in PGA Tour history. Jack Burke Jr., Ken Venturi, Mark Lye, Hal Sutton, Chip Beck, Scott Simpson and Craig Stadler all also had wins in which they started the final round eight off the lead.

Stewart Cink won the 2004 MCI Heritage after beginning the final round nine behind.

And the recordholder in this category is Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 British Open after beginning the final round 10 strokes behind the leader. That was the Jean Van de Velde Open. Lawrie, by the way, also won on Sunday, claiming the European Tour's Qatar Masters.

See also:
Largest final-round comebacks on PGA Tour

The Major Champions

Saturday February 4, 2012
We've added two new pages to About.com Golf that organize the list of major championship winners in different ways. First up is the list of major winners by year and tournament. And next up is the list of major championship winners alphabetized by golfer.

Both pages show you the full list of every winner of every men's professional major yet played. You can also click on any major listed to view the final scores and read a recap (except for a handful of British Opens - but we're working on that).

See also:
Future majors

Tournament profile pages:
1935 British Open
1932 British Open
1931 British Open

And for something completely different:
Big Break Atlantis

Effects of Using the Wrong Shaft Flex

Thursday February 2, 2012
Your clubs will work much better for you if you are swinging clubs with shafts whose flex is appropriate to your swing. And not just your swing speed, but how smooth your swing is, too.

What happens if you choose a shaft flex that doesn't match your swing - a flex that is too stiff or not stiff enough? Check out the effects of using the wrong shaft flex and see if anything sounds familiar.

See also:

Discuss in my forum

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