In the Rough

American golfer JP Hayes may be sleeping easy with a clear conscience but when he wakes up he won’t be playing on the USPGA Tour in 2009.

Hayes himself was playing in the second round of the US Qualifying School in Texas when he used a different ball, which later turned out to be a ball not yet approved by the USPGA.

JP Hayes caddie threw JP a ball on the 12th Tee for the par three hole. This ball was a prototype Titleist golf ball that Hayes had been given to test three to four weeks ago and unfortunately it had found it’s way back into his golf bag.

Once Hayes had spotted the error he reported it to USPGA Officials and was given a two stroke for changing his golf ball during his round. It was then later that JP discovered that it was actually a ball not yet approved for tour use and he came clean to officials even though he knew it would cost him his place on the 2009 USPGA tour.

Golf legend Seve Ballesteros could leave intensive care this week at the La Paz hospital according to a statement realised on 14th November by hospital doctors.

Seve is still being closely monitored but they have said “he continues to improve” and once he is stable and well enough he will leave the intensive care unit.

Seve Ballesteros was admitted to hospital on 6th October after losing consciousness at Madrid Airport. He has since had three brain operations to try and remove a brain tumour.

A family statement realised on his website last week said - “With the help of God, the neurosurgeons and their teams, and those who are keeping watch over his state of health at the intensive care unit, we trust with unquestioning faith Seve will come out successfully from this hardship”

The 51 year old Spanish legend retired from golf last year.

England’s Ian Poulter has pulled out of this weekends Singapore Open after his Golf Driver was stolen during the HSBC Championship event in Shanghai last week.

Poulter was hoping to still compete at the tournament but his driver has still not arrived the day before the event so he has decided to pull out. The Singapore Open has a prize fund of £3.2 Million but Ian Poulter has still chosen to drop out as a bad week without the driver could affect his World Ranking points and ultimately his World Ranking Positioning.

The HSBC Championship tournament organisers announced India’s Anirban Lahiri as Ian Poulter’s replacement. The Championship has big names like Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els.

Golf legend Seve Bellesteros is said to be stable in intensive care in the Madrid hospital, which performed the three brain operations over the last week.

Bellesteros needed a third operation last Friday to reduce swelling and also to remove the remaining of his brain tumour. The legend is said to be responding well to the third operation and in a stable condition. The news of the third operation being a success is only good news for the golfing world as Seve is not only a legend in the game but also one of the much loved guys on the tour.

Fellow spaniard Sergio Garcia dedicated his win at last weeks Castello Masters in Valencia to Seve Bellesteros and wished him all the health for the future, views shared by the golfing world.

During his illustrous career Seve Bellesteros has won 87 titles including The Open in 79,84 and 88. Seve has also won The Masters in 1980 and 1983. Bellesteros retired last year with arthritic back and knee problems.

One of the funniest but strangest stories I have been reading about golf this week is about an up and coming star by the the name of Nala Kconrahc.

He has been hovering around the edge of the proffessional scene for 4 or 5 years now with guest appearances in various tournaments with unexpected high results and even a hole in one in a local event in Scotland, United Kingdom.

The 30 year old is never likely to make it to full professional but is a perfect example of how you can turn your talent into cash as he has taken over £500,000 in winnings and sponsorship deals over the last 10 years.

Now that doesn’t sound much but £50k a year for doing something you love is a prime example of how you don’t have to be a Pro, to make a life in golf.

After his win on home soil over the weekend Spaniard Sergio Garcia has moved up to a career high of Number 3 in the current World Rankings. Garcia won by 3 shots at the Castello Masters in Valencia.

Sergio’s first win on the European Tour since 2005 was enough to push him above Vijay Singh. Garcia himself helped to host the event over the weekend as it was his home town course Club De Campo Mediterraneo where he grew up playing and his dad is still the club professional.

The 28 year old had previously finished 2nd on 7 separate occasions until he broke his three year duck at the Castello Masters.

Spain’s top golfer Sergio Garcia has said he will give 120% at this week’s Castello Masters in Costa Azahar as he tries to win his home town tournament.

The Spaniard currently ranked 5th in the World has been involved heavily in the planning of the Castello Masters. Garcia has aided with the lengthening of a couple of holes, more bunkers on the 10th (these are now within perfect driving distance) and also the addition of two lakes on the course.

Although this weekend Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson have dropped out of the Castello Masters to concentrate on the year ending Volvo Masters event next week there is still a strong field with Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia all competing.

Jose Maria Olazabal also has decided to play at Castello Masters in Valencia and is looking to maintain his course record of 61.

American golfer John Daly is considering playing on the European Tour more regularly next year after admitting he his hungry for more tournament golf.

The big hitting American who won the USPGA in 1991 and The British Open in 1995 has plummeted down the world rankings and now sits in a very lowly 737 in the world. Daly has struggled with gambling addictions, alcohol addictions and several failed marriages over the last few years which on top of a serious yet bizarre Rib Injury have seen the downfall of a legend.

The rib injury picked up by John Daly forced him into a swing change and he is now seeing guys who five years ago were 50 + Yards behind him hitting the ball exactly the same distance.

Daly who won the USPGA after not even completing a practise round in 1991 due to being a late replacement for Nick Price is looking to increase his ranking over the next year and become a major player in tournaments at the age of 42.

World Number three Vijay Singh has said he will be taking a couple months off golf to recover from tendinitis in his left forearm. The 45 Year Old Fijian  will be missing the  Iskandar  Johor  Open in Malaysia and the Champions Tournament in Singapore.

Vijay Singh has already won 3 tour titles on the PGA tour this year and would of been hoping to add to it in the next few months but the tendinitis injury looks set to rule him out.

Vijay’s not appearance at the events will be a big blow to organisers as he was one of the big names attending and was due to be the highest rank player at the events due to world number one Tiger Woods been out injured and Phil Mickelson currently ranked number two in the world not attending.

World Number one Tiger Woods has said his injured knee will not be fully recovered until 2010 as it is going to be an 18 month recovery session.

Woods has said he will be able to start swinging a golf club in January and then after six months his knee will be at about 85% strength.

The world number one was in brilliant form until his injury after winning 9 of 12 events in 2009 including his last win at Torrey Pines in the US Open. Woods is hoping to come back in the same form so he can start closing the gap between himself on 65 PGA Tour Victories and Jack Nicklaus on 73 and Sam Snead on 82.