April 2010

Another Masters has come and gone and certainly not without lots of fanfare and attention. We had elders atop the leaderboard on Thursday with Tom Watson and Fred Couples setting the tone early. Freddy will go down as not only the silkiest swing from this event but also the owner of the coolest shoes, the latest offering from ECCO golf. We had the "initial" makings of a  couple charges on Sunday with KJ and AK, but ultimately neither had enough holes left to win the lime green fabric. Tiger Woods had the attention of the world and I was quite impressed, not only with his game but also with his approach to the fans, the media and his peers. I felt he is headed in the right direction and I look forward to seeing complete restoration of his life in all areas. In the end, it was Phil Mickelson winning his third green jacket and showing the viewers some of the craziest recovery shots ever seen. He might have made some questionable decisions off the tee but he backed it up with some solid putts and making birdies when he needed to. Unfortunately, Lee Westwood couldn't string together enough to make an impact and it led to him being down and out with a couple to go. Overall, another great tournament and I offer my congratulations to Phil on a great win!

It's been almost ten years since I first went on air with the golf show concept and since that first day I have been blessed to sit down and talk with some of the biggest names in golf, from Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson to Vijay Singh and Annika. The amount of people I have met and talked with over the years is incredible but there are 2 names that always stand out for me. It's not that they are the biggest names in golf, but they are 2 people I always like talking to and are always able to go deeper than just "golf talk". These 2 individuals are coincidentally, both Canadian! I am talking about instructor Sean Foley and footwear entrepreneur James Lepp. Sean has been coming on our show for a few years now and in that time, I often ask questions more about society and people than I do about golf. The reason for this? He is an absolute genius when it comes to perceiving people. It is fascinating to hear him talk about what people do and why they do it and most of the time when he is on, I would much rather hear his take on issues affecting individuals than how I can fix a snap-hook. Sean has been and always will be one of the most "real" people I have ever chatted with and I look forward to talking with him again soon. Where do I start with James Lepp? Well, he first came on our show last year and at first he was the "typical" guest, talking about his KIKKOR brand and what he was doing with his life. This NCAA standout and legit "go low" guy was someone that also sparked my questioning when I realized he had much more to offer than the usual fluff. After a couple more appearances and some phone calls, we started to click and I can say now that JL is also one of the most up front and honest guys I have talked to. One of the things I pride myself on with our guests is building relationships and that's why I do have a lot of the same guests on each year. It's not because I can't get new ones, because I always do, it's because I want people on that will be honest and open knowing I offer them a safe forum to do so. I want to thank all the guests that come on our program because they are all amazing, but I thought I would share with you 2 that float to the top of my mind. Thanks again for all the support and time you took to check the blog and I encourage you to keep checking back often. Talk soon. JJ

Here it is, Masters weekend and the way it is shaping up, it should be exciting! How about Tom Watson and Freddy Couples? At different points yesterday they were on top of the leaderboard. However, today was a different story with each of them taking a little slide. The other story of course was the play of the man everyone is watching, Tiger Woods. TW has not let anyone down and is playing some great golf and wouldn't it be something if he goes on to win the jacket after all that has happened in his life in the last few months. If he does win, it would be amazing and you couldn't even script something that incredulous! Two guys that made the move today were a couple of English lads, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. Both are amazing ball strikers and when you combine that with making putts, you have a recipe for "Winners Circle". Still with 2 days to go, anything can and probably will happen! Enjoy watching the tourney and will be posting again shortly. Talk soon.