Congratulations to Paul Carter, he is the winner of the GolfClubs.com.au Registration competition!

Paul won a set of custom built irons, Paul chose the Lind Golf Mi9 Tour Irons with a french gold decal, royal blue ferrule, UST french gold shaft and royal blue grips. They look sensational – nice choice Paul!

Congratulations from the entire GolfClubs.com.au Team and keep an eye out for new up and coming competitions, only at www.golfclubs.com.au!

It is Masters week and the anticipation at Lind Golf and around the world is growing for the 75th Masters Tournament.

The crowds are already gathering to watch the world’s top golfers practice as they prepare to take on each other and the intimidating Augusta National Golf Course.

A firm favourite of the crowd during the practice rounds is the par 3 challenge on the Wednesday. It is a 9 hole 1,060yard par 27 that plays over the DeSoto Springs pond and Ike’s Pond, the contest is very social with the players children quite often caddying for them. It was first played in 1960 and since then there has been 72 hole-in-ones with a record 5 in 2002. The course record of 20 is held by Art Wall (1965) and Gary Brewer (1973) but the most significant stat of all, is that no winner of the Par 3 Contest has ever gone on to win the masters.

Another Masters tradition during the opening three rounds of practice is the ball skimming contest, this occurs on the 16th hole where golfers attempt to skip their ball across the lake onto the green. No one is really sure how this came about but nevertheless it has become a favourite routine of players and patrons alike.

Some Lind Golf Favourites:

Phil Mickelson could be the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world next Monday. So too could five other golfers currently in the top 7 in the world rankings. Any one of them will overtake the top spot in the rankings should they win the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta this week.

Fresh off his win at the Houston Open over the weekend, Mickelson seems to be the favourite to win the Masters and move into that No. 1 spot. He is currently ranked third in the world. But there are others who will have their chance, as well. Martin Kaymer, who is currently ranking No. 1, will obviously keep that spot should he win at Augusta. But should Lee Westwood, Mickelson, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell or Tiger Woods win the Masters, they will overtake Kaymer.

The Masters tees off on Friday, and clearly there is more up for grabs this year than just the honour of being fitted for a green jacket.

Lind Golf Predictions:

Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood finished one and two at Augusta last year, and we very well could see a repeat of that this weekend. Lefty is the overall favourite, which I feel is nice bang for the buck. Westwood, who was ranked No. 1 in the world from October 31, 2010 to February 26, 2011, is the best golfer on the planet who hasn’t won a major. Westwood finished as the runner-up at the Masters and The Open Championship last year and has third place finishes at the U.S. Open (2008) and the PGA Championship (2009). I don’t think a major championship can elude him much longer. Even though Lefty doesn’t offer as much return on your money, he may still be hard to resist. He enters this year’s Masters with a ton of momentum after winning the Shell Houston Open last week. Plus, he has finished 10th or better in this tournament 11 of the last 12 years, winning the Green Jacket three times in this span.

You can rest assured all of the big guns will be chasing the prized number 1 spot over the weekend.

Masters 2011 Pairings

For the first time in a long time, a group with Tiger Woods does not become must-see TV in April at Augusta National.

The 99-player field at the Masters leads off the 2011 majors, but only a handful of groups show potential for intriguing headlines.

Here are the top pairings you should watch on Thursday.

Gold medal:

A 2011 Masters winner might come out of group No. 6 with Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Nick Watney. Johnson could have won the 2010 U.S. Open and the PGA Championship if not for a Sunday blow-up and a two-stroke penalty on the 72nd hole, respectively. Johnson has characteristics of a perennial PGA Tour superstar. If he contends for two more majors in 2011, it shouldn’t surprise anyone. Scott, in a way, was Johnson three years ago. Many golf analysts likened Scott to Tiger Woods because of his effortless power and potential.

However, Scott had a David Duval-like breakdown and missed the cut in three out of four majors in 2009.

He rebounded in 2010, finishing as high at tied for 18th at the Masters, but it’s not his potential comeback that makes it interesting.

Martin Kaymer, the world's No. 1 golfer, looks forward to making the cut at the Masters for the first time.

Scott, who traditionally has struggled with his putting, will be donning a sternum putter instead of a traditional 35-inch blade. The long putter might answer the only weakness of Scott’s game.

Watney, in his own right, has improved his game to another level and recorded a career-best eight top-10 finishes in 2010.

He played well in the Masters and the British Open last year with a seventh and tied seventh finish, respectively.

Silver medal:

Group No. 14 with Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar may represent the hottest three golfers in the last six months.

The world’s first, second and 10th ranked players, respectively, come into the 2011 PGA Tour season with higher expectations than ever.

Kaymer, however, has never made the cut at the Masters. Westwood added another second-place finish at a major last year’s Masters. Kuchar has never replicated his 1998 Masters success as an amateur, either.

All three are expected to do well, but all three have something to prove at Augusta National with their newfound world rankings.

Bronze medal:

Group No. 14 with Padraig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa and Bill Haas will quickly be every golf fan's sentimental favourite.

Ryo Ishikawa said he will donate all of his 2011 winnings to Japan's earthquake relief. Ishikawa said he would donate all 2011 earnings to Japan’s earthquake relief. For a cause like that, the Japanese native has become a player to watch, not as the next potential Asian golf superstar but because of this wonderful cause.

Harrington will look back at a time when he won back-to-back majors after Woods' departure in 2008. It has been headaches and poor performances since then, but "Paddy" still remains to be a candidate for a bounce-back year.

Other close calls:

Group No. 27 with Fred Couples, Luke Donald and Steve Stricker represent a group of golfers that have consistently played well throughout their careers without flash.

However, if you want to see golf played the right way without any mental mistakes, this is the group to follow. Plus, is there a smoother tempo in golf than Couples' boom-boom swing?

A grouping that may be dubbed "The Future," Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day in group No. 10 represent a new crop of players that could replace the Wood-Mickelson era.

None of these players will be favourites to win for a while, but that might change within the next four years.

We are excited to announce that Lind Golf has been acquired by the OO.com.au group.

OO is one of Australia's leading online retailers with a strong sports and fitness offering, as well as large ranges and branded electronics and homewares at great value prices. 

You might already be an oo.com.au customer, or you might know them as the sleeve sponsor of the Sydney Roosters NRL team. 

Our relationship with OO will strengthen our offering and improve our ability to deliver excellent golf equipment to you at the very best prices. 

We thank you for your support over the last 3 years and look forward to delivering even greater value in golf equipment moving forward.