The IIG Congratulates Arjun Atwal!
Six Mile, South Carolina - The International Institute of Golf would like to congratulate Arjun Atwal in his most recent performance at the Wyndham Championship.
Atwal become the first Indian-born player to win on TOUR and the first player to win from a Monday qualifier since 1986. “I told my caddie that we had nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try to win it,” Atwal stated.
Atwal’s one shot victory (-20) over David Toms will allow him to play in next years Masters as well as other various PGA TOUR events. “I don’t have a card, I don’t have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that’s what I did this week,” the Indian-born player added.
This most recent win has now put BannLynch Golf at three wins for the season, with Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby winning earlier this year.
Featured:IIG Congratulates Stuart Appleby on Low 59 and Win
August 2, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
Six Mile, S.C. (August 1,2010) – The International Institute of Golf (IIG) would like to congratulate Stuart Appleby on his victory Sunday at the Inaugural Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia. The win marks Appleby’s first title since the 2006 Houston Open and his ninth US PGA Tour victory overall. Appleby won in record fashion, closing with a final round 59 to become the first ever non – American to do so and only the fifth player ever on the US PGA TOUR. Appleby’s round, which included nine birdies and an eagle at the 12th, saw him come from seven shots back to beat Jeff Overton by a stroke.
“I had a quiet voice in the back of my head saying you’re going to make this, you’re going to make this,” Appleby said of the 11-footer he drained for birdie and 59 on the final green. “I felt like I was going to make that putt. It was just a beautiful round of golf from a feeling point of view.”
Appleby’s success is no surprise to his longtime coach and IIG Principal Director, Steve Bann. ”We have been working hard the last couple of years and it was great to finally see it all come to fruition. It’s exciting to see Stuart back in form and I look forward to his rise in the golfing ranks once again,” said Bann.
About the International Institute of Golf (IIG)
Located at the Cliffs at Keowee Springs, the IIG accompanies a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and community. Headed up by Steve Bann and Dale Lynch, the IIG offers varying levels of instruction, group lessons and corporate outings. IIG professional clients include Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Mathew Goggin, K.J. Choi, Arjun Atwal, Roger Tambellini, Justin Bolli, Nick Flanagan, Steve Allan, Kyle Thompson and LPGA star Hee Young Park.
The IIG includes a state of the art 80-yard short-game area with varying rough heights, run-offs and green shapes ; a teaching center featuring NIKE 360® Fitting System; a state of the art Swing Catalyst motion analysis studio; and an indoor putting studio with the TOMI system and a fitness training area. The Cliffs at Keowee Springs is one of eight private master-planned residential developments within The Cliffs Communities, founded in 1989 by Jim Anthony and located in the heart of the Carolina Preserve stretching from Greenville, S.C., to Asheville, N.C. To learn more about the IIG, call (864) 868-0477 or visit www.iofgolf.com
Contacts:
Barrett Wood
(864) 868-0477 IIG
(404) 543-3400 cell
Featured:Ross Perrett talks about Yarra Bend Golf
May 14, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
In this video, Ross Perrett from Thomson Perrett Golf Course Architects introduces us to the firm’s latest venture: Yarra Bend Golf.
Thomson Perrett Golf Course Architects are a well established and respected firm in the golf industry with numerous golf course design projects around the world, particularly in Asia. They are excited to join forces with Bann Lynch Golf as part of a consortium that is going to build and manage this wonderful new facility, just 4 kms from the Melbourne CBD.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will provide you with updates on the progress of this project, which will include a brilliant new floodlit driving range with up to 60 hitting bays, state of the art golf coaching academy, golf course renovations to the Yarra Bend Golf Course, a mini golf facility, wellness center, cafe and much much more.
Stay tuned for more from the Yarra Bend Golf team!
Featured: Fraser gives credit to coach McDade for win
Australia’s Marcus Fraser finished an impressive week in Korea with a 4 shot victory at the Ballantines Championship on the European Tour here on Sunday. After the win, the Victorian Institute of Sport, Golf Program graduate credited a return to coach Denis McDade of Bann Lynch Golf for his win.
“…It’s all thanks to a lot of hard work back home with my coach Denis McDade…you always feel like you’re working towards something with all the practice that we do together, and its a big confidence boost this week, long overdue.”
McDade coached Fraser through the VIS Program and the early part of his professional career, when he earned his first European Tour win at the Russian Open in 2003. After a break of a few years from McDade in which he struggled with his game to the point where he contemplated quitting it altogether, Fraser decided to return to his old coach and get back to what he knew worked for him. The result is the biggest victory of his professional career to date, over a field that included major champions Ernie Els and Y.E Yang and some of the best players in the world including Henrik Stenson and Anthony Kim.
Fraser mentioned how a return to his old coach with whom he had enjoyed so much success as an amateur revitalized his game and gave him the confidence that he was on the right track:
“I had 4 wins in my first year as a professional and I expected a lot of myself…for some reason I stopped seeing him (McDade), don’t know why I did that..but it’s all water under the bridge for us now and we’re working hard to get another win.”
McDade was understandably thrilled with Fraser’s performance: “It’s just incredibly satisfying for me to see Marcus break through this way…we all know he’s got the talent to compete on this level and it was just a matter of working together to build his confidence up and keep putting himself in contention. A lot of hard work has gone into this, including via Skype this week! Absolutely over the moon.”
You can listen to the full audio clip of Marcus Fraser’s post-victory interview on the European Tour site by clicking this link:
U.S Open Rd 3 Report:
June 20, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
There were plenty of roars heard around Pebble Beach on Saturday. Roars for Dustin Johnson blitzing his way into the lead with a sizzling 5 under par 66. Roars for Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell who managed to scramble his way to an even par 71 that still kept him in the hunt going into Sunday. But perhaps the loudest roars were reserved for the man who has unfortunately made more news off the golf course than on it this year.
For one day at least, it seemed like the old Tiger Woods was back.
On “moving day” the world number 1 gave the delighted galleries flashbacks of his dominating performance at the same venue in the 2000 U.S Open where he lapped the field by 15 shots. Woods shot a 5 under par 66 to move to -1 for the Championship. His round included 8 birdies over all and a flawless back 9 of 5 under par 31. However, if he is to capture his first major coming from behind on a Sunday, he will have to make up 5 shots on leader Dustin Johnson who also shot a brilliant 66 to lead at -6.
For Bann Lynch Golf player K.J Choi, it was a round of two 9’s. His first 9 of 1 under par 34 had him looking in good shape and still in the hunt. However a horror back nine of 7 over par 43 which included double bogeys at both the par 5s and 3 other bogeys meant Choi carded a 6 over par 77 and finds himself at +7 for the tournament and tied for 23rd.
Australia’s Stuart Appleby had a similar sort of round following an even par first 9 with a 5 over par back 9 to finish with a 76 for the day that leaves him at +12 and tied 64th for the Championship.
Thanks to Yarra Bend Golf for this article.
Choi still in the hunt after Rd2 at U.S Open
June 19, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
They say you can’t win the U.S Open in one round but you can certainly lose it. On day 2 of the 2010 U.S Open Champion, South Korea’s K.J Choi made sure he avoided the latter by putting together a workmanlike round of 2 over par 73.
Choi enters the weekend at +1 tied for 10th place and just 4 shots behind leader Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland. He mixed 2 birdies with 2 bogeys and a double bogey in his round, but all in all can’t be too displeased with his position going into Friday’s 3rd round. As many players have said this week, any score around par in a U.S Open is usually going to put you in contention come Sunday.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Stuart Appleby made the cut right on the number at +7. He was comfortably within the cut line at +5 through 15 holes of his second round before bogeying 16 and 17. Coming down the last needing a par to make the weekend, Appleby knocked his third shot into the bunker. His heart rate would have risen even higher after he left his bunker shot 5 meters from the hole. The Aussie managed to find the cup and avoid what would have been a pretty gut wrenching missed cut, especially considering his recent struggles. He goes into Saturday’s 3rd round tied for 73rd position.
It has been a tough tournament for the Bann Lynch Golf stable so far, with Choi and Appleby the only 2 to make the cut out of the 8 that started the tournament. Scores for the other 6 were:
Geoff Ogilvy +8, Arjun Atwal +8, Marc Leishman +9, Steve Allan +10, Paul Sheehan +11, Aaron Baddeley +15.
Thanks to Yarra Bend Golf for this article.
Choi tied 4th after 1st Rd at U.S Open
June 18, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
A bogey-double bogey start wasn’t exactly part of K.J Choi’s game plan for the 1st round of the 2010 U.S Open being played at Pebble Beach. However, this is the U.S Open. It is as much a test of one’s patience in the face of adversity as it is a test of golfing skills.
Choi showed he had plenty to offer in both departments as he followed up his horror start with a run of 6 birdies in the next 12 holes to get to 3 under par for the day and at one point hold the outright lead. He was the hottest player on the golf course by far. However, the course fought back. 2 bogeys over his last 4 holes meant that after an up and down day, Choi finished at 1 under par 70 and tied 4th, 1 shot behind the 1st round lead set by Shaun Micheel, Paul Casey and Brendon de Jonge.
Still, on a day when some of the best players in the world struggled to get anywhere near par, Choi was very happy to finish under par in the 1st round of a U.S Open, which usually means you are in the mix.
Here is his interview after the round (courtesy of pgatour.com):
Choi, coached by Bann Lynch Golf coach Steve Bann, clearly understands that focusing on the mental and strategic aspects of his game is as important as thinking about his golf swing:
“This course it looks like is wide open fairway, but in the teeing ground, hitting before in the mindset, in the right, in the left, either way is very tough in the bunker and tough in the rough,” he said. “And it can’t stop in the bouncing, so very scared on the tee shot.”
It was a day of mixed results for the other 7 players from the Bann Lynch Golf stable competing at Pebble Beach this week. Starting on the 10th tee, Stuart Appleby (also coached by Steve Bann) recovered from a poor start much like Choi to make the turn at even par after 3 straight birdies, but gave back 2 shots on his back 9 to finish at a very respectable 2 over par 73 which left him tied for 30th position.
Former champion Geoff Ogilvy had a disappointing start to his U.S Open campaign with a 8 over par 79 that left him tied for 135th. Ogilvy had 8 bogeys and a double bogey in his round along with 2 birdies and will need to do something special on Friday to make it to the weekend, let alone be a factor on Sunday.
Other scores for Bann Lynch Golf coached players in the field:
Arjun Atwal +4 (T67), Marc Leishman +6 (T106), Steve Allan +7 (T119), Aaron Baddeley +9 (T142), Paul Sheehan +9 (T142).
Thank you to Yarra Bend Golf for this article.
Wrapup: St.Jude Classic
June 14, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
3 Bann Lynch Golf players played in the St.Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew which concluded on Sunday at the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
Cameron Percy of Australia (coached by Darren Cole) finished tied for 25th place at -3 for the week after rounds of 70, 68, 67 and 72. Percy finished 7 shots behind eventual winner Lee Westwood of England.
Mathew Goggin (coached by Dale Lynch) finished tied for 37th place at -1 after rounds of 69, 69, 69 and 72 at the par 70 layout.
Stuart Appleby (coached by Steve Bann) shot an excellent 3 under par 67 in the second round but failed to make the cut as a first round 75 left him with too much ground to make up.
It was a bizarre end to the tournament as American Robert Garrigus seemed to have the tournament wrapped up with a 3 shot lead coming to the final tee on Sunday. Unfortunately, the pressure of chasing his first PGA Tour win seemed to get the better of him as he yanked his tee shot left into the water. He proceeded to make a mess of the hole and had to hole a 3 footer just to make triple bogey and get into a playoff with Westwood and Robert Karlsson of Sweden.
Garrigus was the first to perish in the sudden death playoff, and Westwood and Karlsson matched each other’s shaky putting until the Englishman finally holed a 6 footer to grab the title on the 4th playoff hole.
The golf world’s attention now turns to the US Open being played this week at Pebble Beach. Bann Lynch Golf has 8 players competing in this year’s event. Watch this site for up to date coverage on all our players.
Thanks to Yarra Bend Golf for this article.
Appleby, Baddeley & Atwal make US Open field
Aussies Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley were among the 15 players who have successfully qualified for the 2010 US Open from the Sectional Qualifying event in Columbus, Ohio.
The Down Under duo came through the 36 hole qualifier played at the Lakes and Brookside courses along with major winners Tom Lehman, Davis Love III and Ben Curtis.
Meanwhile, India’s Arjun Atwal has also qualified for the US Open, being played this year at Pebble Beach, by coming through qualifying in Rockville, Maryland.
Thanks to Pure Golf Blog for this article
The Memorial Tournament Wrapup
June 7, 2010 by
Filed under IIG News
6 players coached by Bann Lynch Golf coaches competed at The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio which concluded on Sunday.
It was a case of what might have been for Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy who shared the lead after the 1st round thanks to a blistering 7 under par 65 which could have been even better if not for a missed 2 footer on the par 3 8th hole. Unfortunately for Ogilvy, a 77 in the second round put paid to his chances for the week.
He got back on track with a 3 under par 69 but a 4 over par 76 on Sunday meant he could only finish T41 for the week at -1, well behind England’s Justin Rose who shot a final round 66 to capture his first PGA Tour title. Still, Ogilvy is sure to take plenty of positives from his first round in which he matched his superb ball striking with deft touch on the fast greens, needing just 26 putts despite the 3 putt on hole #8. The former US Open Champion is showing some good signs heading into Pebble Beach.
Fellow Aussie Aaron Baddeley finished T47 at even par while South Korea’s KJ Choi, a former winner here, finished T52.
Thanks to Pure Golf Blog for this post.
