This Week at WorldGolf.com: June 14, 2006

Australians' perfection means U.S. Open,
and World Cup triumphs are ahead

There are two types of people who inhabit this planet. One type is the Australians, with the other being the rest of us poor sods.

Australians, who are born with long blonde hair, the ability to surf and six-packs (figuratively and literally), have long annoyed the world with their nifty accents, adventurous attitudes and brilliant looks. And things are only getting better.

Now, as if to further exasperate us bad-accented, ho-hum-attitude and mediocre-looking non-Australians, the Aussies are on a serious roll in the world of sport.

Being that Australians are great at everything, they are obviously outstanding athletes. There just aren't that many of them, and they tend to concentrate on sports they made up themselves, like Australian Rules Football, which was named such to avoid any threat of the Chinese swooping in and saying they invented it.

But since the Socceroos made Australian history by scoring the nation's first three World Cup goals - in rapid succession - to beat Japan, it now seems that anything is possible for these Super People.

Which is why I predict two great things for the Australians: Their soccer team will advance to the final 16 of the World Cup, and an Aussie will win the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

An Australian has not won a major in more than a decade, when Steve Elkington won the PGA Championship in 1995. With a relentless success on the PGA Tour this year, Australians have set the stage for one of their number to take home a big prize in 2006, and one of them will do it.

No one can argue that the talent isn't there. Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, Rod Pampling and Aaron Baddeley have all experienced success and any one of them could make the U.S. Open their own personal playground.

At the World Cup, the Aussies will stun Croatia to guarantee the right to advance to the knock-out rounds. At the U.S. Open, an Aussie will knock out the storybook possibilities of a Tiger Woods victory and take the title home to Australia.

And we'll all have two more reasons to seethe with jealousy over those irritatingly perfect Australians.

As always, WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

The World Cup: Finding the
winner through golf -- Part III

The 2006 World Cup in Germany has enraptured the planet. And like any major sporting event, the outcome can be determined by examining one key factor - the competing nations' golf scene. With nations like England, the U.S. and Spain competing in soccer's biggest party, it's obvious that the nation that has the best of golf will come out on top. Find out who the ultimate winner will be! Hint: the hooligans will be happy.

Also: Part II (USA, Italy, Czech Republic and Ghana)

Father's Day gift ideas for
golfing dads everywhere

This is the day a golfing dad waits for all year. Nothing compares to Father's Day when it comes to Dad getting what he really wants - golf stuff! This year, TaylorMade's new golf balls head the list, as does equipment by Upswing Golf. Because remember, Father's Day is the one day Dad should definitely get what he wants. And if your dad is a golfer, we're here to help make it easier.

Review: PowerBilt TPS 460cc driver - long but hard to control

Golf for Beginners: great tips from
the game's best, Barry plays defense

In the latest edition of their Golf for Beginners podcast, Barry and Stacy Solomon get serious about improving their game and the games of their listeners. Improve your game by taking the advice of the best golf professionals in the world, including Hank Haney, Butch Harmon, and Phil Mickelson. Also, Barry defends himself when one reader takes him to task for his harsh words to a playing partner. All this and more on the latest Golf for Beginners podcast.

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