Heart of the green and take two points or risk it all, attack the black flag, make eagle, pick up the 10 points and celebrate victory? A decision, asked of you on each of the nine holes, you will have to answer during a day of Power Play Golf. This newly-styled format of golf creates adrenaline pumping action, involving high risk decisions but in turn very high points rewards (8 stable-ford points for a nett eagle!!) all of which plays out in an effortless hour and a half!

The bug was privileged to attend the launch of this ultra modern adaptation of the age old game. Frilford Health Country Club played host to the official Power Play launch. Peter McEvoy, the former Amateur champion, Walker Cup captain and mind behind Power Play was present to promote his fantastic new game. The downpour in the morning made out as though a grim day may have dampened the occasion; however the blazing sun that then ensued was a just reward for all the hard work that went into creating such a well organised event.

The day began with a shotgun start and after the first eight holes were dealt with (with varying amounts of success) the top nine players were  sent to the tee box of the short par4 ninth hole – it was Shoot-out time! Players were allocated a point value which was determined by their collective 8-hole stableford points. It was crunch time as Keith Waters needed to opt for a power play and make a ‘bird’ to seal victory; which he did in great style! After steering a drive past the right-hand side of the fairway bunker his ball came to rest pin high; just off the green. Keith proceeded to play an inspired putt from this position to within a tap in birdie and the title of the first ever Power Play Event Champion.

After the prize giving ceremony; the bug set out to try Power Play for himself. The round is scored on the Stableford points system with ‘double-bonus’ points coming from power play holes. On the tee box of each hole a player must select to either play to the conservatively positioned white flag and score normal points or take on the tough placement of the Power Play black flag; resulting in double Stableford points or negative penalty points for a nett bogey or worse!

Power Play is ideal for corporate golf days and gets two big thumbs up from the bug!

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It was The London Golf Show this weekend at The Excel centre in Docklands, with everything on display from irons to interviews, simulators to swing aids, balls to birdies….and The Bug was there to see it all.

If you didnt get a chance to see the goings on in town, or even if you were there and want to remind yourself of the great time you had, check out the great footage all this week on Golfbug!

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Callaway Golf today announced that upcoming Ladies European Tour star Rachel Bell has signed an exclusive multi-year endorsement contract to play Callaway Golf equipment.

The 26-year-old, who earned her European Tour card in October 2007 following a successful amateur career in Britain and America, will play a full complement of Callaway Golf equipment including the high-performance FT-5™ Driver, offering increased distance, accuracy and shot-shaping control, plus X Fairway Woods, FT Hybrid, X-Forged Irons, X-Tour Wedges, HX Tour 56 Golf Ball and Odyssey Black Series i, #9 Putter.

By turning professional, Rachel realises a lifelong dream inspired by her mother who was killed after a lightning strike on a golf course when Rachel was just five months old.

“Some people might say it is an odd thing for me to want to play golf after what happened,” said Rachel. “But my mother loved golf and, had she still been alive, she would have been playing and encouraging me to take it up.

“The first golf trophy I ever won was a memorial trophy in her name – I don’t suppose many people can say that.”

Having completed a degree in International Relations while playing golf for Florida Southern University and then the University of Southern California, Rachel returned to the UK and her Ganton Golf Club base, and capped an outstanding amateur career by making the cut at the historic 2007 Ricoh British Open at St Andrews, finishing third best amateur, and then reaching the semi-finals of the British Open Amateur Championship, before capturing her Ladies European Tour card, finishing 15^th at Qualifying School in Le Fonti, Italy.

“Rachel is a wonderfully talented golfer and a remarkable individual,” said Callaway Golf Europe Managing Director Neil Howie. “She has played Callaway Golf equipment for a number of years and I know that Rachel will be a great ambassador both for the brand and our products. The 2008 line-up of Callaway Golf equipment for women is our best ever and underlines our commitment to designing and manufacturing superior products for all golfers.”

The bug would like to congratulate Rachel on becoming a Callaway tour player and has no doubts that she will be up there with the Ochoa’s of this world before long!

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After finishing in 2nd place behind the new Masters champion Trevor Immelman, Tiger Woods will now be out for four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left knee. The 32-year-old is now unlikely to defend the Wachovia Championship and his appearance at The Players Championship is also in doubt. It is the same knee injury which required two operations, the first in 1994 and then arthroscopic surgery in December 2002.

Woods, who will hopefully be fit to play at the US Open in Torrey Pines in June, told his official website: “I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery for after the Masters. The upside is that I have been through this process before and know how to handle it.

“I look forward to working through the rehabilitation process and getting back to action as quickly as I can.”

The Bug wishes Tiger a speedy recovery, as it couldn’t imagine a Major event without the presence of “the special one”.

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Late last night, Trevor Immelman of South Africa, became the first Masters winner in over 30 years to lead the tournament at the end of all four rounds. Immelman has shown a dramatic improvement in the consistency of his game in the past 6 months. This Major win comes after a wonderful victory in his homeland in December last year, where Trevor won the unofficial ‘African Major’ - the Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Championship hosted at Sun City –after having been invited to play as a late-replacement for Jim Furyk.

Immelman treated the 50,000 - strong crowds at Augusta to a wonderful display of powerful, accurate driving and unrivaled finesse in his approach shots to the seemingly impossible Augusta greens! Trevor was willed on by many of his loyal South African supporters and received a voice message from golfing legend and fellow countryman Gary Player. Late on Saturday evening Gary encouraged Trevor to, “…keep your eye on the ball during putts for an extra second….I know you’re going to win”.

In winning the first Major of the season, Immelman has shattered the press-hype that this year was to be Tiger’s Grand-slam season. An out- of- sorts “Sunday Tiger Woods” – “I didn’t come here to finish 2nd” - had very little in the way of reply to the beautiful stroke play displayed by Trevor all week. Dare the Bug be so bold as to predict that this wonderful golfer, after taming the Tiger at Augusta, may go on to become the golfing world’s first calendar Grand-slam winner?

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