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

Bann Lynch Golf players K.J Choi of South Korea and Geoff Ogilvy of Australia can both take plenty of positives from their respective performances in the US PGA Tour’s Crowne Plaza Invitational which concluded today at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Choi and Ogilvy both finished in a tie for 13th along with 7 other players at 12 under par, 9 shots behind winner Zach Johnson of the United States.

Choi and Ogilvy are coached by International Institute of Golf co-Directors Steve Bann and Dale Lynch respectively.

Yarra Bend Golf team member Ogilvy followed rounds of 70, 67 and 67 with a blistering final round 64 on the par 70 layout to vault up the leader board. He made 6 birdies against no bogeys and this performance will surely give the 2006 US Open Champion plenty of confidence with the 2010 event just a few weeks away.

While Ogilvy shot a stellar final round, Choi can probably lay claim to the strangest round of the week- his 66 on Saturday is probably one round of golf he won’t forget for a while. The South Korean birdied 3 of his first 4 holes, then recovered from a bogey on the 5th with a stunning eagle on the par 4 6th. He parred into the turn to score 4 under par 31 for the front 9. K.J then caught fire again birdieing 4 of the next 5 holes to get it to 8 under for the round. After parring 15 through 17, Choi teed off on the 18th hole tied for the lead with Bryce Molder at 14 under par and needing a birdie to match the course record.

That’s when it all went wrong.

After hitting his tee shot into the left rough, KJ couldn’t get it out on his first attempt, and then compounded his problems by hitting the next one into the water next to the green. After dropping, it took him 3 attempts with the wedge to get it onto the green and he had to make an 8 footer for a quadruple bogey 8 that left him with a 4 under par 66 which while impressive could have been so much better.

Still, both Ogilvy and Choi have shown some very encouraging signs this week that their games are peaking at the right time for the second major of the year. The US Open will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links from June 17-20.

Thanks to Yarra Bend Golf for this article.

After playing his way to a Nationwide Tour membership during the year, the Greenville, S.C resident set his sights on pro golf’s ultimate stage. With rounds of 74, 71, 66, 68 ,75 and 69, Delahoussaye finished at 9 under 423 for the tournament and tied for 23rd place.It was a clutch performance in his final round of 3 under par 69 that sealed the deal for Delahoussaye.

While he hails from the United States, his success certainly has an Aussie connection to it. Delahoussaye has been working at the International Institute of Golf at The Cliffs, Keowee Springs in South Carolina with IIG coaches Brett Latcham and John Thalassinos.

The International Institute of Golf is the brainchild of Australia’s most successful coaching team- Steve Bann and Dale Lynch. The Institute officially opened its doors in May this year and is the training ground for some of the PGA Tour’s top stars including Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, KJ Choi, Nick Flanagan, Mat Goggin, Aaron Baddeley and many more.

Lake Keowee, South Carolina (September, 2008) – What do you get when you mix the industry’s foremost experts in golf instruction with a state-of-the-art, custom-built teaching facility? The new International Institute of Golf at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, led by Steve Bann and Dale Lynch –the famous Australian golf coaching team that have coached PGA TOUR professionals Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby, KJ Choi, Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby and Richard Green throughout their careers. To open this summer at Keowee Springs Lodge and Spa – America’s First Luxury Family Wellness Retreat^SM – the International Institute of Golf is expected to set a new standard in golf instruction and rival the world’s best known academies with one simple mission: to help players shave strokes off their game by playing consistently better golf.

“The goal of the International Institute of Golf is to set up a holistic academy that encompasses all the services that we created and delivered at the Victorian Institute of Sport,” said Steve Bann. “These services will include technique, physical conditioning, mental skill development and strategy training.”

Bann and Lynch, who have led their PGA TOUR clients to more than 40 international victories and rankings within the world’s top 60 earners, are known for being the dynamic duo at Melbourne, Australia’s prestigious Victorian Institute of Sport (V.I.S.). The International Institute of Golf at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs will be Bann and Lynch’s only teaching academy in North America. Dale Lynch will be relocating his family from Melbourne and based full-time at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, while Steve Bann will be regularly visiting for weekend programs and events.

“Having a best-in-class golf instruction facility to complement both our collection of eight championship courses and our communities’ focus on wellness for every member of the family is a natural match,” stated Scott Beville, President of The Cliffs Real Estate, Inc. “You can’t get any better than having two of the sport’s most recognized teachers align with your brand. The energy and expertise that Steve and Dale bring to the table is unparalleled.”

The Perfect Practice Facility
Dale Lynch unabashedly describes Keowee Springs’ Institute as “the best practice facility in the world”: “The practice facility is going to be the most totally complete facility, where every shot in the game can be learned and practiced. The Cliffs’ team and Tom Fazio have gone out of their way to create what I think is the best practice facility in the world.”

The Institute will feature the latest computer, video and motion analysis technology. The golf coach team will also work with every student in developing personalized training programs designed to work on specifically targeted areas of the game. Once a student’s golf game has been analyzed, he or she will be invited to test their skills on the driving range.

Unlike traditional driving ranges, the International Institute of Golf will have not only flat surfaces to hit from but will also offer an innovative short game practice green for chipping, pitching and bunkers, plus a dedicated putting green built to USGA specifications.

“This driving range will be the first of its kind in the country,” said The Cliffs’ Vice President of Golf Maintenance, Daniel Brazinski. “It features grass angulations designed specifically to mimic difficult shots on the golf course. A team of experts including Tom Fazio and PGA TOUR Professionals sponsored by The Cliffs, provided valuable input into its design.”

The International Institute of Golf will also offer a separate, innovative indoor practice area complete with hitting bays, motion analysis, putting studio and a movement room.

Customized “Improvement Cycle” to Guide Golfers
“Our training focuses on all aspects of the game – physical, mental, technical and strategic. By concentrating on these four factors, we are able to develop and assess each golfer’s individual capabilities and set realistic goals according to each player’s needs,” explained Lynch. “We then design a training program based around an improvement cycle. We don’t sell quick fixes and gimmicks. We enter into a long-term structured development with our clients.”

“The same process of golf improvement is easily applied to all levels of golfers,” noted Bann. “Many people are under the misconception that Dale and I only work with elite level golfers. Some of our biggest coaching thrills and successes have been teaching people to break 100 for the first time.”

When opened this summer, the International Institute of Golf will welcome students of all levels and ages, including both recreational and professional golfers.

This training regime that incorporates a multitude of factors – including diet, mental and physical attributes – that illustrate The Cliffs’ philosophy on health and wellness. The Institute will also complement the services and offerings that will be available at the Keowee Springs Lodge and Spa, which is scheduled to open in 2010.

For Golf, All Cart Paths Lead to The Cliffs
With Tiger Woods’ announcement last August that he will be designing his first golf course in America at The Cliffs; Gary Player’s establishing his North American headquarters and establishing a home at The Cliffs; and now Steve Bann and Dale Lynch’s endorsement to lead what is being categorized as the best teaching facility in the country – The Cliffs is arguably becoming the destination for all things golf. From eight distinctly unique golf course experiences to second-to-none education in the game – and a complementary wellness program shaped by physicians and experts at the top of their game – it is no wonder that The Cliffs has been recognized industry-wide with honors including “Best International Development” by CNBC’s International Property Awards and among America’s Top 10 Private Golf Communities by both The Robb Report and Travel + Leisure Golf.

Footnote by Steve Bann

The International Institute of Golf at the Cliffs at Keowee Springs is the first academy for Dale Lynch and myself in the USA.

The goal is to set up a holistic academy that encompasses all the services that we created and delivered at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, Australia. These services will include technique, physical conditioning, mental skill development and strategy training.

The Cliffs at Keowee Springs venue on Lake Keowee in South Carolina has a 7200 yard Tom Fazio course and the practice facility is going to be the most totally complete facilty, where every shot in the game can be learned and practiced.

The Cliffs’ team and Tom Fazio have gone out of their way to create what I think is the best practice facility in the world. Cliffs touring pros Lucas Glover, Charles Warren and input from Dale Lynch and myself has been taken on board and Tom Fazio has personally dedicated his attention to creating the facility.

The short game area has 3 USGA standard geens and the Institute end has another 2 greens, one for putting and another for short game. The Institute building includes a movement room, putting studio, full swing analysis and club fitting, meeting room, offices, bathrooms and everything else we could think of. Dale will be moving to the USA with his family and base himself fulltime at the Springs. I will be regularly visiting for weekend schools and events.

This is an exciting venture for Dale and I and we are really looking forward to getting our teeth into it.

Steve Bann
Coach to Stuart Appleby, KJ Choi and Nick Flanagan
International Institute of Golf