Dreams and Goals

Starting my PGA Tour life I played 24 tournaments in ’64 and ’65 on $6000 courtesy of Shoal Creek’s Hall Thompson and won the grand total of $0 dollars. Bert Yancey told me of a job in Cairo, Georgia where I could play all the golf I wanted and meet some great people. Great move! Took the job, set goals to win all the majors in Georgia in 1966; Georgia Open, Atlanta Open, Georgia PGA, Dixie PGA and become a better than +3 handicap. Accomplished all but win the Georgia Open where I finished 2nd. I then felt I could compete on the PGA Tour and went back to the 1966 Tour Qualifying School where I won a tour card. Davis Love, the pro at Atlanta CC called me and asked if I wanted to go back on the tour and if so he had a gentleman that might want to sponsor me. For the next few years I played and struggled with my game, my discipline and my faith. I was at the end of my playing career and struggling with the loss of my mother in 1970. It seems as if things sometimes are at the worst when suddenly God reaches out His hand and lifts us up. My father and a friend gave me $3000 to go to the Hawaiian Open for our last hurrah on the PGA Tour. They told us to just have a great time, enjoy the islands, and not worry about tomorrow. Watching the Sony at Waialae this weekend brought back fantastic memories of a great trip. Sheri and I rented a dune buggy, explored Oahu and ended up on the putting green at Waialae CC, site of the ’71 Hawaiian Open. All of a sudden I became a great putter. It seemed as if the ball made a loud sound every time I putted. Now you have it, I am paired with Arnold Palmer the last day and have the lead in the tournament by one shot with three to go. Tom Shaw birdies #16 and #17 in front of me. Arnold hits first on #17 from 194 yards downwind with a four iron and puts his ball five feet from the hole. I took a five, turned it loose right at the pin. Whoops, Arnold had put one over on me as he took what looked like a big swing, but really just chipped a four iron as I learned personally from him a few years ago. My ball flew in the stands over the green. John Schlee hit a seven iron on the hole and Tom Shaw birdied the hole with a six. Lesson (do not look in an opponent’s bag in competitive situations). As it turned out the 1971 Hawaiian Open was a life changer on the tour as I finished in third place, won $14,000 which to me was worth way more than the $363,000 the third place tie this year received. Arnold Palmer is a great person that Sheri and I both admire, but has always had that competitive drive and will to win. All the pros that have had success on the tour thank him for making golf what it is today. 1971 tournament results are attached.

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Steve Stricker Winner, Hyundai T of C

Wow! What a combination, Stricker’s swing and Maui, both beautiful things to behold. I miss those great trips to Hawaii to enjoy the majestic beauty of the mountains, the roar of the mighty ocean and the friendliness of the Hawaiian people. My golf game in Hawaii seemed to reflect the peacefulness of the island that was so evident in Steve Stricker’s flawless game. Stricker’s comment to the press was ” I just do what I do the best”. The quietness of Steve’s swing especially in his wedge play blew the opponents away as the average distance from the hole from 125 yards in for all players was 23 feet; Stricker’s 7 feet. Go to my post about Steve Stricker’s swing at www.dewittweaver.com, June 6, 2011 for my take on his swing. Dave Pelz preaches all wedges from 100 yards in should always be inside 10 feet. Great wedge play creates champions. This week the PGA Tour play their first full field event at Waialae CC in Oahu where I supposely was to play my last round on the PGA Tour in 1971. My next post will reflect on the outcome of Sheri’s and my adventure into an unknown future we were not aware of or ever dreamed we could be part of.

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Happy New Year’s Golf

Wow, 2012 is here. 50 years ago I was watching the classic swings of Hogan and Snead followed by the athletic masculine swing of Arnold Palmer and the dominate play of the fat kid Jack Nicklaus. Little did I know that I would be competing and playing with all four. Talk about four different swings; you won’t find that on today’s tours. Each one of these individuals personally helped me with my golf game. 2012 I plan on digging into my archives and share with you the instruction I have received from the greatest players, teachers and sports psychologists. Hopefully these so called secrets of the legends of golf will help you to have your best golf games ever in the new year and years after. I would be happy to share my knowledge personally with you to help you reach your goals in 2012. Your friend in faith, life and golf. DeWitt Ps 37:4

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Tis the Season

 

From: DeWitt Weaver Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 4:56 PM Subject: Tis the Season

Approaching the end of 2011 we have the arrival of Santa preempted by my most precious Savior whom so many do not believe in. It really seems so simple to give one’s life to one who died for all the sins we have laid before Him. It is like buying a free insurance policy to guarantee that your kids will have it made when you have passed and you might have life forever as He promised. My Christmas wish for all of you that you will enjoy every child you know and especially those you raise. Love your wife as the song goes, “Forever is as far as I’ll Go”. So many of you have become such great friends and have helped me stay accountable for what I stand for. As what I write about is usually about golf I hope that Christmas brings you a golf game to enjoy at the level you desire. May the peace of Christ be with you always, at work, home, on the course, in traffic, at games, bars, pool halls and especially when things are thrown at you on the internet. I certainly appreciate your friendship and hope to spend more time with all of you in 2012 as conservative ways return. Possibly this email might be quite heavy but I really feel truth in what I write and want to share with my best friends. Merry Christmas, DeWitt Ps 37:4

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Tiger??

Tiger wins the Chevron World Open 18 player exhibition match. Sorry, but that does not do it for me. The tournament purse is not even official money or an official win, but I hear it counts in the world rankings. Let me play at home with 17 of my friends with all the gallery pulling for me and I would be dangerous even with a gimpy knee. From all I hear on TV Tiger is going to beat the world next year. I never heard anything negative about him or his swing which I guess has to be said in order to create interest in the PGA Tour next year. Tiger has improved his swing as he keeps the club in front of him and as it seems his attitude. I just hope he has found out what is really important in this world, why and what follows this life on Earth. I did not watch a lot of the tournament but I did catch one huge ## expletive from him. Tiger has the focus and mind set of a Jack Nicklaus but still has his mind cluttered with confusing unnatural swing thoughts that causes shots to lose their zip code. The PGA Tour does need him but I am not positively sure he could survive the six grueling rounds in the desert at the PGA Tour Qualifying School where 25 golfers will gain access to a young man’s greatest dream, the PGA Tour.

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Champions Tour Q School

The PGA Tour is going to have to change the way to have access to the Champions Tour. Five spots are not enough when you have over a thousand qualifiers. Sonny Skinner just shot 67 the last round to finish in a tie for 6th which gives him limited access to the tour. Years ago I was on the Advisory Board of the Champions Tour and recommended there be an additional tour such as the Nationwide Tour for more seniors to pursue their dreams. Yes, the Champions Tour is a closed shop, mainly a retirement tour for PGA Tour Veterans that access and staying power for them is all time money. The tour is missing out on so many diverse personalities that could enhance the tour and add additional excitement to a sometimes boring adventure. The greatest thing about golf is that you earn your way along, but be given a reasonable right and chance to do so. Comments would be appreciated on my web at www.dewittweaver.com .

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Presidents Cup Results

Congratulations to the USA as they played great as a team in beating the International Team 19-15 on their home turf. Freddie was a great captain and Greg Norman messed up with his captain’s pick in Robert Allenby who never won a point. Tiger will contend again as he has made improvements in his swing as he has the club in front and on top of the ball keeping him in the same zip code with his tee shots. Tiger still has the club in a too closed a position for me and is a long way from his great swing he produced in the early 2000. He will have a hard time getting the ball real close to the hole as his today swing creates a lower boring ball flight. David Toms, the elder, was best in driving accuracy, greens hit and strapped it on the internationals. Jim Furyk did himself proud in playing up to US Open standards and winning 5 points. I really like his ugly swing as he reminds me so much of Miller Barber who was a fantastic ball striker. I am always so proud of golfers competing at a high level as they get older. That is one of the great reasons golf is the greatest sport for anyone. Cannot wait for next year to compete once again with a better knee as I am having a little work done on it the 30th of this month. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone as we really have so much to be thankful for. DeWitt Ps 37:4.

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The President’s Cup Picks

Here we go. Probably more like a fight rather than a nice round of golf. Could the last match come to fist a cuffs? My fantasy NFL team is 9 – 1. Can I pick um in Australia? Still think Freddie and Greg Norman should play. Should be very exciting.

  • Match # 1 Watson- Simpson over Els – Ishikawa
  • Match #2 Ogilvy – Schwartzel over Haas – Watney
  • Match #3 Baddeley – Day over Johnson – Kuchar
  • Match #4 Mickelson – Furyk over Goosen – Allenby
  • Match # 5. Kim – Yang over Mahan – Toms
  • Match #6 Scott – Williams – Choi over Woods – Stricker. 

Come on USA!!

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Australian Open-President’s Cup

Tiger is on his way back?? The jury is still out even after his third place finish in the Australian Open. The Australian competitors really have great fundamentals and wonderful connection with their left arm held close to their chest at all times. This keeps the club square to the line creating wonderful balance and direction. I still see a totally flat closed wrist and a reverse pivot in Tiger’s game. Tiger has to rotate through so fast to keep hooking the fool out of the ball and cannot get his arms in front of his chest. I never saw Hogan or Snead lose balance in their swings. He needs to play short courses the rest of his life where he can bunt an iron down the fairway. Tiger still has the demeanor to be a champion but will always have trouble with tight long holes under pressure using the swing he has. He might scrape out a point in the President’s Cup if he has a great partner. I missed out on my predictions of Kuchar and Johnson this past week, but felt pretty good about Day and Scott. We are in trouble in the President’s Cup. Freddie needs to play. Check out his wonderful moves and position of his clubface at the top of his backswing and the position of his left arm throughout the swing on this attachment.

 

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Australian Open

Goodness! the Australian Open seems like a war already between Tiger and Steve Williams. Stevie spoke when he should not have but Tiger said Steve had no racial feelings towards him. When the smoke settles I expect Adam Scott and Jason Day to contend for the top spot with Tiger still struggling. As all of the participants are getting ready for the President’s Cup next week Steve Stricker is home nursing a sore neck hopefully healing where he can carry Tiger around. Each time I have gotten on Tiger’s case I really wish him well, but I will let you know when I see him swing in the Outback whether I see a future for him. Americans have not won the Australian Open since ’97, but this year might be different as Dustin and Kuchar will shine. Can’t wait for the pairings in the President’s Cup. We can really have some fun picking winners in each match: Wager – one lager per match. Any of you that wish to question me on the swings of the greats I always have an opinion, perhaps not always right, but stubborn about it. Sometimes as I have had to do lately, you have to go through a bunch of bad shots, bad breaks and depressing lies just to get to the really great results that can only be obtained through patience. Let go and let God. DW Ps 37:4

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