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U.S. Solheim Cup captain Beth Daniel insisted Wednesday that the event was not going to be the "Michelle Wie Solheim Cup."

That said, Daniel also knows what type of attention the talented 19-year-old brings, and as the media swarmed over her pick, Beth Daniel tried to temper the hype. She said Wie can't win the match against Europe by herself, and that it's a team event.

Which it is.

But most of Wednesday's media day centered around Wie.
So why did Daniel pick her?

"I've said from day one that I'm looking for the players who are playing the best coming into the event, and Michelle being a rookie finished 13th in the points playing in less tournaments than anybody else," Daniel said. "And as of late, she's been playing extremely well. That's the reason why I picked her. She's also just a tremendous talent."

To illustrated that talent, Daniel referenced a greenside bunker shot that Wie hit last week at the British Open that she said not many people on the planet could execute.

"She hits so many unbelievable golf shots and you're looking at her in awe," Daniel said. "She can hit any shot. I think where she's gotten better, her short game is incredible. Her shots around the green -- she can hit some shots. At Lytham last week she into a bunker and she hit a shot that you wouldn't see many human beings being able to hit. She's a remarkable talent."

Daniel then mentioned how Wie missed the ensuing putt,to still card a bogey.
Ah yes.
The Big Wiesy is not perfect. Far from it. But with an average tee shot that measures just under 270 yards, she's a big hitter with an improving short game, which will make her an excellent teammate once they tee it up for real in a couple weeks.

Aside from Wie's selection, the other news of the day centered around the treatment she received from teammates. There's been a perception - most of it based in reality - that many LPGA players don't care for the way Wie has handled her career to this point, or the attention she has received.

So all eyes weren't just on Wie, but how her teammates responded to her.

Said Daniel: "I'm an insider, obviously. I played with Michelle when she was 14 years old and I played with her when she was 15. From an insider's view, being in the locker room with her, she's always been great kid. But she got so much media attention by playing in the men's events and there was all this debate about is she doing the right thing, is she doing the wrong thing, is she getting too much, is not getting enough. People have debated that for years and I think they'll continue to debate that but she's always been a great kid and I've liked her."

While that may be true - Daniel couldn't speak for the rest of her team, and even Rich Harvest Farms owner and architect Jerry Rich observed some moments of detachment from the other players and the rookie early in the week.
"I had the opportunity to watch her over two days now and you could tell she wasn't one of the peers, and now they're giving high fives and patting each other on the back and they're really coming together as a team," he said. "She feels she's part of that team now."

Teammate and longtime friend Christina Kim then offered this up on Wie:
"It's remarkable to see her grow up into such an incredible young woman. We're really good friends and I think people have really started to embrace her and people have been able to get to know her.

"People, the media I guess, or whoever you want to say, always have these assumptions as to who we are as human beings and its really nice to see people really seeing Michelle for who she really is -- which is an incredible human being with a huge heart and one of the most fun loving, free spirited people you'll ever meet."

Read on for some quotes from Wie herself....

The Front Nine took a look at how important the mental side of golf is to your game, and how it's something you can improve upon - even without the help of golf psychologists.

Whitetail Ridge head pro Patrick MacDonald believes average players should try visualization - play the course in your head before you tee it up, and work on those shots on the range before hand.
"It's very important. Visualize each shot, visualize where you want to be on each hole. I always like to leave the range hitting whatever club I'm going to hit off the first tee and have a positive swing thought. It helps to make sure when I get on the first tee I'm prepared for that type of shot and I've thought about it."

"As you go around the course, what amateurs fail to realize is 'where is the worst place to leave it?' and play accordingly to that. If I mis-hit it, I'll end up here because it's not the worst place to be because I've thought about it ahead of time."

Another key for average players would be to after a bad shot.

"Once the golf ball leaves the club face, it's over. You can't do anything about it when it's in the air," MacDonald said. "The quicker you can put a bad shot out of your mind is only going to lead to better scores in your round. You just have to let it go and forget about it. It's hard to do, but the quicker all golfers can do that, the better they can score."

Then there is the "zone' that you hear athletes talk about from time to time. Here's what Davis Love III said about it...
"You get in a zone. I have had a couple really good streaks, three or four weeks or two or three months, and when you get in those streaks you're not thinking about how to go through your routine or how to play, how to turn it on and turn it off on the golf course, how to focus or how to get lost in the process. Right now I'm working on it, you know, and that's the difference."

Unfortunately for you and me, finding the "zone" might be a little tougher than working on visualization and working on "one shot at a time."

Said MacDonald: "Unfortunately I think that's directly related to talent. If you think about it, you're going to be out there for 4, 4 1/2 hours, and unless you're Tiger or something with unbelievable mental fortitude, you're not going to be able to keep it together for that long.

They key is if you get that rhythmn, to use it as long as you can and then once it goes away - which it will - is to not get wrapped up in it, just go with the flow, keep swinging the way you are."

namely area high school golfers.

There are three current high schoolers in the field, but that's not nearly enough. The tournament, which is contested at both Phillips Park and Fox Valley Golf Club, is a great opportunity for high school players to compete against skilled amateurs that have much more experience than they do.

And, a four day 72-hole tournament would be a departure from the types of tourneys they usually compete in.

On a related note, head pro Jeff Schmidt is looking for some help in determining the official start of the city tourney, as well as former champions.

Record keeping has been spotty at best. Throw in the fact that no tourney was held during the Phillips Park renovation, plus the real chance it didn't happen during WWII, there's a good chance it hasn't been held consecutively since its inception.

My colleague Rick Armstrong has narrowed down the start date of the tournament to either 1932 or 1933, but we could use your help. Call Schmidt at 630-499-0670 or e-mail the Beacon at beaconsports@scn1.com

Tinley Park-based Bettinardi, long known for its fine putters - has ventured into golf fashion by making belt buckles.

Owner Robert Bettinardi kind of fell into that business, and in the last six months the pieces have become his hottest seller.

"I decided to start making them for the country clubs - the Medinah's, the Butler's, the Rich Harvest Farm's," Bettinardi said. "So that was very unique because now I'm customizing all the belt buckles. There are probably 20 million golfers in the United States, say 15 million of them are men, but there are 50 million men in American and there are probably 50 million of that wear belts. So you're talking about a bigger demographic, a bigger base."

The buckles are custom made on the Bettinardi C&C Milling machines in their Tinley building, and can be hand painted to match any color scheme.

"Everybody wants silver, but silver is very expensive," he said. "Stainless steel is beautiful because it doesn't rust. You can do all kinds of stuff (to it)."

The buckles (& leather belt) retail at $175 each, but if you're into fashion and having something no one else in the world will own - it's worth picking one up.

"Our motif is 'you want something that's really nice? You want something that's going to really last a long time? You want something that's guaranteed to last a lifetime?' Go get yourself a Bettinardi - whether it's a belt buckle, a putter, a headcover - whatever it is," Bettinardi said. "Bettinardi is really high quality stuff. That's what we're all about. That's what I'm proud of. "

Winfield native & Wheaton Warrenville South alumnus Kevin Streelman is the first player to endorse the buckles. A second year PGA Tour pro, Streelman has about 15 buckles that he wears.

"It's been fun yo be able to have my own input on a couple buckles and they've done some custom things for me," he said. "I've gotten asked by a lot of people 'where'd you get this?'"

Streelman has taken advantage of Bettinardi's ability to customize the buckles, wearing different buckles for different tour stops.

"They did a killer whale like Shamu for San Diego, they did a really cool desert scene for the FBR in Phoenix," Streelman said. "They did 'Bettinardi' in like the Hollywood-sign (design) for Riviera. (My wife) Courtney and I will brainstorm and say 'hey, why don't you try this for this week?' He's been really responsive and able to do a lot of the custom stuff."

Today The Front Nine talked about playing some games within the game of golf, especially for the average player.

Yes, you can play match play, or alternate shot, or better ball or even four ball when you pair up. And, aside from alt. shot, you play your own ball anyway. It just adds some fun to the round. In the spirit of the upcoming Solheim Cup, bring some games within your game.

But there are some things to know.
On the serious side, there are some different rules for match play. Be sure to check them out here.

On the fun side, PGA and Wilson Golf professional Billy Nestel gives you a couple of other match play games:

Scotch Game
This is a great 2 Person Best Ball Game to play if your looking for something different this US Open weekend.

If all six points are won by one team, then the points are doubled, equaling 12pts.
Otherwise known as a "Blitz or Umbrella"
This is a great game to keep everyone involved on every hole, while getting a taste of both, stroke and match play!

Nestel was also kind enough to give you some strategic tips for playing match play...

Match Play Strategies

As a PGA Member, I have commonly been asked if I prepare differently for match play events versus stroke play events. The answer is, yes!

I will always break a match play event into 3, six hole matches when preparing. Just like a team in baseball, football, or basketball, in match play there are always in game adjustments that need to be made.

Holes 1 - 6
I will prepare for these first six as if it were a stoke play event. I want to play my game against the course and remain focused on how I want to play each shot on each hole. I will normally play all six holes in my mind on the range before I tee off. This gives me a sense of relaxation that I have already played this hole or hit this shot.

Holes 7 - 12
As I enter the seventh hole I want to know exactly where the match stands and at that point will have a general idea of how my opponent is playing. My first "In Game" adjustments are then put into play. If we are all square, I continue to play my own game. If I am 2 down or more I will begin to play much more aggressive. I may hit driver off the tee where I normally would or aim at flags that I wouldn't usually go at. If I am up 2, I do the opposite. Play for middle of fairway and center of greens!

Holes 13 - 18
If the match goes this far you should have a pretty good idea of where this match is headed. At this point you may need to make another "In Game" adjustment. I always try to keep in mind that there is no, let's make a couple pars and get to the clubhouse and we make some birdies tomorrow. In match play there is no tomorrow!

The Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms is rapidly approaching, and one of the biggest (potential) draws the event could have is 19-year-old Michelle Wie.
The Front Nine touched on the subject today.

I've seen her up close at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, and not only is she a great golfer, but she's a huge star and the biggest on the LPGA Tour. She would draw tens of thousands to Rich Harvest alone, which would make the entire event that much more special.

Now, the point of the Solheim is to win, and if the Big Wiesy is playing well she will only help the US team continue its run of dominance over the weakend Euro's. She's a big hitter, which will be needed at Rich Harvest, and she has experience winning in match play.

For the tip of the week, Hughes Creek head pro Sam Bradberry helps us get aligned correctly with a simple foot drill....check out the club here and sign up for several of their great events in the coming weeks.

This week's Front Nine examined how the average player can save at least two shots a round by doing some simple things before a round, off the tee and around the greens.

Area head professionals Kyle Rich of Fox Bend Golf Course in Oswego, Tom Tierney of Orchard Valley Golf Course in Aurora and Chad Johansen of Blackberry Oaks Golf Course in Bristol gave us some insights.

Before the round
Here's a putting drill from Johansen that he says will help you shave those shots (visit his golf academy here).
"Take a golf ball and put a line completely around the middle of the ball. Take a chalk line from a hard ware store and you snap a chalk line five feet from the hole. Put the line that's on that ball on that chalk line and you putt two tees in between your putter. Do that for 10 mintes a day.

"All you're going to do is just putt in between the two tees and you want that line to stay on the chalk line for five feet. Any time you've had a good round, ever, you've made a lot of five foot putts. If you want to take 2 strokes off your score, if you do that for 10 minutes a day it's definitely going to help."

Johansen also says that many players don't know how far they actually hit their clubs. At Johansen's studio at Blackberry Oaks, they print out a bag tag of that player's average yardages per club. It's a service that costs just $50.

"If you did that first drill I gave you and came out and did one of these training sessions and knew how far you hit every club, I can guarantee you'll lose two strokes off your score, no doubt about it."

Off the tee
A lot of players find themselves off the fairway after launching a tee ball, and many times that ball is nestled among the tree line. Naturally, there are gaps in the trees, but this is where players can save shots.

Said Rich: "Guys try to hit that shot and the ball kicks 20 yards into the woods and now they're really making a high score."

Rich says that a way to save those shots is to get it in your mind before the round that this round is the one where you're going to think your way around the golf course and play the smart shots.

And a beneficial side effect of such a strategy is that it becomes habitual - and you start doing it all the time.

"That's the way I play. If I hit a bad shot or I'm in a bad situation in a tournament, if I can just get it back into play and move on from there, my score is going to be much better than trying to hit that one spectacular shot you see the pro's pull off."

Around the greens
A lot of times, players choose to get too creative around the greens with wedges when the smarter play would be to use a putting stroke - either with the putter or by using a 7- or 8-iron from 30 feet away.

Said Tierney: "You're playing a less lofted club. Even if you belly it and you hit it in the middle of the ball, the thing is still going to roll out there about 10 feet from the hole. If you swing a sand wedge hard enough to loft it up to the hole and hit it in the middle of the ball you're over the green. Or if you hit behind it, you stubbed it. It's pretty hard to stub a runner or a chip and run."

Tierney also suggested the age old formula for improvement: Practice.
"If you miss a green, you're throwing another stroke in there, so in order to get that stroke back you need to have a good short game. Is it fun to practice your short game? Not for most people."

"The short game - that's where you do your scoring and its the most important part of the game and it's probably the most neglected."