Barnes hits 17 greens in KL first round

Ricky Barnes was the next best thing in world golf less than a decade ago. He had a powerful swing, helped the US to the Eisenhower Trophy in 2002 and had the body of a prize fighter.

But the very reason he was hailed as a future star - his power-packed swing - engineered a downfall that left him in the Nationwide Tour for five years.



Now, the 2002 US Amateur National champion is ready to come back and he proved this by taking the first-round lead at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic at the Mines Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Barnes has tasted glory in Malaysia before. It was where he led the US to that Eisenhower triumph. And to show that he is taking more control of his swing, he recorded 17 greens in regulation as he shot eight-under-par 63 to lead by one over Ryan Moore.

Earlier this year, Barnes spoke to golf.com about how he has tried to tone down his "athletic" golf swing so he is able to give himself a chance at the green on his second shot.

"I've been trying to make sure that my lower body is moving with my upper body. By getting my upper and lower body more synchronized, it's helpd my iron play and drives, which has taken a lost of stress off my short game," he was quoted as saying.

He also talked about strengthening his lower body during workouts.

"I'm mostly trying to strengthen my legs," he told golf.com in an April interview. "(My legs) are a lot skinner proportionately to my upper body. I'm trying to get a good base under myself.

"I have a lot of lower body action, so if I'm able to maintain the strength in that prt of my body with upper body, then everything is going to match up in the swing. If the ratio is 70/30, then I'm going to have a tough time timing my downswing."

South African Ernie Els was four strokes behind on 67 in the first-ever PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia along with four others, including England's Luke Donald, while another Ryder Cup player, Rickie Fowler was a farther stroke adrift.

KL hosts first-ever PGA Tour event in SE Asia

It is an exciting time to start this new golf swing blog because, on Thursday, October 28, the first-ever PGA Tour event tees off in the city I live in - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Now, Malaysian golf fans are used to watching world-class golfers wielding their world-beating golf swings on local fairways.

After all, KL is home to the Malaysian Open, which is long part of the European Tour. And in Johor Bahru, about 200 miles south of KL, there is the Iskandar Johor Open that is part of the Asian Tour and won by two-time British Open champion Padraig Harrington just 10 days ago.

However, this is the first time the world's biggest and richest Tour has scheduled a tournament in Southeast Asia, let alone Malaysia.

So it is hamper time for golf fans here, thanks to the $6 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. Certainly, those locals with golf swing concerns will be paying close attention to the pros, led by South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and also featuring Ryder Cup stars Luke Donald and Rickie Fowler.

The tournament is being played at the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Mines Resort and Golf Club (pictured), which is a wind-aided driver golf swing away from where I live.

Asian fans will probably keep a close eye on YE Yang, the South Korean who gave Asia its first home-grown major champion when he won the 2009 US PGA Championship.

Golfswingbling will also be watching the from close range and will keep you up to date with any news.

Stay tuned.

The pursuit of golf swing utopia

Somewhere out there, a golf swing exists. It is not an ordinary golf swing that you, or I, possess within our very beings. Neither is it a golf swing that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or any top pro can show you.



What we are talking about, indeed, is the holy grail of golf swings. The one that works every time at every swing of your golf club, be it a driver or iron.



It is a golf swing that works no matter what the conditions, whether right-handed or left-handed, whether you are impressing your mates on the local course or driving on the 18th on the fourth day at St Andrews with the Open title at stake.

This is the time when we are no longer men or women. We are machines. We just flick a switch and our perfect golf swing puts the ball where we want it to be on the fairway or green. No questions asked, our golf swing just does as it is told.

As I wake up from this blissful dream, I realise that golf swing utopia is as realistic as the munchkins that live over the rainbow.

Still, while Oz maybe be fantasy, there are millions of golfing wizards out there who can help me, and each other, fine-tune our arms, torso, hips, legs and, of course, grip, to create a golf swing for the ages.

So please, join me in this blogging adventure where I hope to have news, views, tips, advice, products, reviews and much debate on how we all, together, can take our golf swings to levels never achieved before.

Happy swinging.