Annika Sorenstam plans to retire at the end of the season. A season in which it appears she is back on track, as she and Lorena Ochoa were forging a rivalry, the two having combined for nearly all the wins on the LPGA Tour this season.
Curious, indeed.
But this quote sticks with me:
"I want to thank Tiger for not being here...that always makes things a little bit easier."
That quote tells you what you need to know about Garcia, if not the rest of the Tour. At some point, you have to quit worrying about The Man. Garcia has all the talent in the world and may have the best game tee to green on Tour. If he can ever get a handle on his putting (which he showed in flashes this weekend) then he would be a rival of Tiger's. The rest of his game is that good.
And also, don't give me the crap that Paul Goydos gave it away. Sergio hit it to four feet. He was winning that tournament. He actually willed this one, which is nice for a guy who hasn't shown the mental strength he needs to if he wants to be among the game's best.
What could be better than watching The Masters for four days a year? Watching it for five!
The annual Par 3 contest will be televised for the first time ever this afternoon on ESPN. Tiger's sitting it out, but most players will get in on the event and try to lose. For those not in the know, no one has doubled up on Par Three Champion and Green Jacket in the same year.
If I'm Joe Grinder and made it into the field this week, I'd be trying my best to win this event. Why, when it's such a bad omen? Because then my name would be forever inscribed at Augusta National. That's not such a bad thing.
Not your brain, but the muddled playoff picture yet to come into focus in the NBA playoff picture. Twelve teams are locked in (seven in the East, five out West), but only the top three in the East (Boston, Detroit, Orlando) are locked into their seeds. Over the remaining 78 games spread over the next nine days, the last few spots will be decided. Here's a brief look at how things will play out.
Eastern Conference
Cleveland is in fourth, 19.5 games out of the one-seed. Washington is in fifth at 21.5 out, Philadelphia in sixth at 22.5 out, and Toronto is in seventh at 23.5 out. Atlanta has the final playoff spot all but sewn up, holding the eighth seed at 25.5 games behind, but three games ahead of New Jersey.
(At this time, I would like to apologize to the Philadelphia 76ers. I had them picked to finish 14th in the East in the preseason. Whoops. Chicago, my preseason conference champion, you get no apology. You should be apologizing to me. Now, back to the predictions, if making more predictions is not a bad idea.)
Than when winning an event also gets you into The Masters?
"Sounds funny, you know, even saying it," Wagner said. "I don't care if I shoot 90 both days and miss the cut. I'm so excited to be there and it's just a dream come true."
That's the cachet that the other Majors don't carry. There are exceptions, but they only prove the rule. The Masters is the one everyone thinks about winning. They think about pulling that Green Jacket on in the Georgia Twilight. They think about a Tuesday Dinner with Jack, Arnie, Tiger and the ghosts. They think about a double-eagle on fifteen. They think about bridges that are more than just a way to get across the water. They think about White Dogwood, Golden Bell, and Azalea. They think about breaking the Shark's heart with a chip. Mickelson throwing a monkey off his back with one tiny jump. They think about a Nike swoosh hanging interminably on the lip of the 16th hole. They think about hanging your head and crying for your old teacher when the final putt drops. They think about a 46-year old Bear coming out of hibernation for one final Spring.
A tradition unlike any other, indeed.
Three back of the leaders at the Doral as play was suspended due to rain yesterday. He had finished 11 and still had seven holes to get in this morning. Man, he started the round one back, and had fallen to three back as the third round unfolded. Clearly he sucks.
Heh. It's hard to type that and not laugh at the absurdity of it.
In all seriousness, his round being at even through 11 was a disappointment on a day when scores were being made. At the least, Vijay Singh was making scores, hanging -8 for the day on the board to pull even with Woods. Your leader? Geoff Ogilvy, three up on Woods. Adam Scott one behind Ogilvy.
As for Woods? People will tune in to watch today. As they always do when he is in the hunt. As for the hype around Woods' sustained excellence to end 2007 and start 2008, this 'graph from espn.com's Bob Harig captures the insanity:
"Regardless, the 11 holes Woods managed to complete in the third round served as a stark reminder that running the table, winning the Grand Slam, matching Byron Nelson's consecutive victory streak are feats that remain more fantasy than reality."
Ah, ya think so, doctor? Good lord. People need to get a grip.
As for Woods, something fun to read here - a 1991 SI article on the 15-year-old Woods (thanks for the heads up to Swamp all-timer Dave). A nice reminder that Woods has actually met the seemingly impossible hype.
SI has stumbled across the rather obvious idea to make its 53 years of content searchable and readable on-line. A great thread discussing that decision is underway at the Swamp here.
"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life," Harmon said from his golf school in Las Vegas. "And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk."
I'll give you one guess who he recently dropped as a student. Hint: He's got tits, but it ain't Phil.
Don't kill a bird with a golf shot on purpose. I know this has gotten a lot of play in the Swamp and I am very late posting, but the comments I found on PGATour.com are inane. Isenhour says there is now a lot of unwanted attention. Well, yeah, you deserve it. He also said the shot was one-in-a-million. More like one-in-ten, which is about how many shots he took at the bird before killing it. Also this:
"I can't deny the accident did happen, but we tried to do everything we could after it happened to make things as proper or right as we could,'' Isenhour said."
IT WASN"T AN ACCIDENT! YOU TRIED TO HIT THE BIRD!
Jesus. If you don't want attention that comes with doing something bad, don't do something bad!
Looks like Tiger Woods has virtually clinched a spot for on the 2008 Ryder Cup team. Now he doesn't have to depend on Paul Azinger picking him with a Captain's choice.
In other news, Woods has also clinched a spot in whatever other team event will occur in the next 15 years.
Also, Boom Boom and the Shark are the new President's Cup Captains. Solid. Good picking there by Dubya and whoever is the president of the rest of the world that isn't Europe. Yeah, I used a joke over. Sue me.
Quick predictions for assistant captains - Davis Love III for the US team and Nick Price for the Internationals.
I watched a lot of golf this weekend, due to a) liking to watch golf and b) being mostly immobilized by illness. This led to my tuning in for coverage on the Golf Channel, which is something I rarely get a chance to do. It took about two holes of the Match Play final yesterday (outlined below by our own Tiger) for Kelly Tilghman to mention that it was an All-Nike final, plus that K.J. Choi and Justin Leonard had also made long runs as Nike endorsers.
Then she mentioned it again. And again. And again, even mentioning Tiger's endorsement for the Sumo Squared driver for the amateur, though he himself had not made the switch yet. Then it came up again.
I'm sure Nike was loving it, much more than if their exposure had been limited to the shirts, hats, and balls of the finalists. Here's the thing: I don't think it gets mentioned at all if it had been an All-Callaway final or an all-Taylor Made final. It seemed calculated on Tilghman's part to KEEP bringing it up. Mention it once, fine. Twice, eh. Three times, it's become a pattern and seems to smack of an agenda.
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that she had some ulterior motive. I only wish that Nick Faldo had never recanted his statements that Taylor Made had performed better in tests than Nike. Although I understand that he probably had to, because he is a Taylor Made player and there was a definite conflict of interest there, not an implied one. However, if Tilghman was going to keep bringing up Nike, I think Faldo should have been able to separate himself on the golf course form the announcer and say whatever came to mind, especially when it was backed up by published research (although, depending on the test, different companies come out looking better or worse).
I hope I'm wrong. I can't verify anything with regards to Tilghman, but her constant mentions of Nike left a bad taste in my mouth.
He won the WGC Match Play dealie yesterday, destroying Stewart Cink 8 and 7.
That makes it:
---Three straight WGC wins, five the last six, and seven of the last 10
---Four straight PGA tour wins, and six of his last seven
I'm with Stewart Cink on this one:
"It says he's the best that's ever played."
Yes. He is. I don't care if he ever gets past Jack Nicklaus' career majors mark (although I fully expect him to). That is beside the point now. Woods has become in his golfing prime everything anyone could possibly have hoped for. Still long off the tee, great course manager, ridiculously good short game, and steady putter. There has never been anyone better. Not Hogan. Not Nicklaus. Not Palmer. Not Jones. Not even fair at this point.
Bob Harig tries to find new words on on espn.com here.
Steve Elling on sportsline.com says Woods is playing better right now than he did in his magical 2000 run of excellence. Yup.
The simple PGA equation for tournaments where Woods shows up: he merely has to be good, everyone else has to be flawless.
True dat.
A stunning 26-22 through the first 48 matches. Stunning as I can't believe how poorly I've done. Then again, I watched less golf last year than I can remember, so I'll just chalk it up to being out of practice. Need to get in mid-season form. On to the latest predictions.
Woods d. Baddelley 1 Up - Woods has had his tough match. Badds isn't the one to stall this train. That honor might just go to:
Choi d. Casey, 2&1 - Eventually Choi will be given his due!
Byrd d. Stenson 1 Up - Byrd on a roll, and there is often a very low seed that makes it to the semis. My pick now is Byrd.
Weekley d. Aquaman 2&1 - This one could easily go either way. Liked the pluck shown by these two beating more talented players yesterday. The post match quotes on this one will be the best of the round.
Appleby d. Leonard 1 up (extra holes) - Appleby having a good start, Leonard looking like the Leonard of old. Best match of the day.
Pampling d. Singh 3&1 - The Rod rolls on.
Stricker d. Cabrera 4&3 - Stricker gets the putter working early. He's won this event before.
Cink d. Montgomerie 3&1 - Just because.
Not so hot with yesterday's, but I'll make up for it by going a perfect 16-16 today. EDIT: Not hot with round 2, dropping to .500. Third Round Predictions Shortly...I know you cannot wait.
Woods d. Oberholser - 4&3 - Oberholser will only be playing his second round of the season and Tiger will be feeling pretty good about turning the match yesterday around against Holmes.
Baddeley d. Toms, 1 Up - No real strong feeling either way. Toms is good in this format, but Baddeley will be too much today.
Casey d. Dredge, 1 Up - The classic England-Wales match-up goes to the Englishman, exacting revenge for Wales's victory in rugby a few weeks ago.
Choi d. Poulter 3&1 - Choi rates better than Poulter.
Romero d. Byrd 1 Up - Stab in the dark.
Stenson d. Immelman 2&1 - The defending champ ousts the last remaininf South African.
Scott d. Austin 3&2 - Aquaman succumbs to talent.
Garcia d. Weekley 5&4 - Garcia's match play prowess too much for Weekley. Boo then challenges Garcia to a skeet shooting competition.
Appleby d. Mickelson 1 Up - Though I love Phil Mickelson...never mind, that hurt too much to type.
Westwood d. Leonard 2 Up - Westwood still seething over Leonard's reaction at Brookline nine years ago against Olazabal.
O'Hern d. Pampling 6&4 - O'Hern likes match play.
Fasth d. Singh 1 Up - Singh just isn't where he needs to be with his new swing.
Mahan d. Stricker 1 Up - The sleeper pick rambles on, proving to be a heartbreaker for Stricker, who wonders why he ever considered going to California. Whole lotta love for the young American.
Donald d. Cabrera 1 Up - Stab, again.
Montie d. Howell III 3&2 - Montie just like match play. Howell just isn't that great.
Cink d. Harrington 1 Up - This one could go either way, but Cink gets the nod.
(correct predictions in bold - not scoreline, just victor. Incorrect in italics. What do I look like, a soothsayer?)
Woods d. Holmes, 4&2
Oberholser d. Weir, 1 Up
Johnson d. Toms, 2 & 1
Baddelly d. Calcavecchia, 4&3
Sabattini d. Dredge, 2 up
Karlsson d. Casey, 3 & 2
Choi d. Villegas, 1 Up
Hansen d. Poulter, 2 up
Els d. Byrd, 1 Up
Romero d. Goosen, 2&1
Allenby d. Stenson, 5&4
Immelman d. Katayama, 1 Up
Scott d. Jones, 2 Up
Austin D. Taniguchi, 1 up
Garcia d. Senden, 3&2
Kaymer d. Weekley, 1 Up
Mickelson d. Perez, 4&2
Appleby d. Clark, 2&1
Leonard d. Ogilvy, 1 Up
Snedeker d. Westwood, 3&2
Rose d. Pampling, 5&4
O'Hern d. Verplank, 2&1
Singh d. Hanson, 2&1
Green d. Fasth, 1 Up
Stricker d. Chopra, 3&2
Mahan d. Stern, 4&3
Hansen d. Cabrera, 1 Up
Donald d. Dougherty, 1 Up
Furyk d. Montgomerie, 1 Up
Ames d. Howell III, 5&4
Kelly d. Harrington, 2&1
Cink d. Jimenez, 1 Up
Minimum of 28 correct. Book it.
And if you're interested in another opinion, though I don't know why, check out Jason Sobel, who put just a skosh more time into his analysis than yours truly.
UPDATE: 18-14. Just above half. All luck!
And not the Joe Lunardi type. The PGA Type.
The interesting first round matches include:
Ryder Cup teammates Zach Johnson and David Toms - Toms is down to a 13 seed, but is a tough enough competitor in match play to be a tough out for anyone, and Johnson hasn't exactly set the world afire since winning at Augusta last season.
BWTHNWM K.J. Choi faces off against Camillo Villegas - Villegas needs a strong showing at a big result if we are to think he's anything more than another pretty face.
Jim Furyk and Colin Montgomerie - Two Ryder cup stalwarts will go at it. Montie loves this format, but Jim Furyk is as tough as they come. There's a reason he plays well with Tiger Woods. All business on the course.
Other tidbits:
- South African buddies Ernie Els and Retief Goosen could face each other in the second round.
- Mike Weir, who beat Tiger Woods in the President's Cup singles matches last fall, could face Woods in the second round if Woods defeats J.B. Holmes and Weirs wins as well.
- Steve Stricker is a #1 seed. Really? Just a phenomenal career turnaround for Stricker.
- Bradley Dredge, consider me your #1 fan tomorrow.
- My sleeper pick for the event is Hunter Mahan. As an eight seed, he will have to go through Stricker, whose putting makes him a tough out in Match Play, but other than Stricker and Furyk, the Sam Snead bracket is the weakest of the four. Mahan makes enough birdies to be in business for several rounds.
Phil Mickelson is like Tupac. All West Coast and shit. Plus their physiques are quite similar. Not muscles, mind you, but rather body art. Where Tupac has "Thug Life" tattoo-ed across his midsection, Phil has "No Bogeys, Please, Golfing Gods" because there is considerably more room for words.
But really, Phil looks a bit more trim these days.
Maybe he's really HDO from the Swamp Weight Loss Challenge.
Naming rights. I wish that this week was the LA Open, or at worst the LA Open presented by Northern Trust, not the Northern Trust Open. This history of these events is sullied by removing the traditional names. That's part of why I can stomach the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but I hate the FBR Open.
The PGA Tour does a disservice to its events by selling out. I understand the motives, but I hate it nonetheless. Serve the history, give a shout out to the sponsors as an afterthought, not as a headline.
KJ Choi is rocking the leaderboard right now.
He was in Dubai per usual for the tournament there. He was down after three rounds. Four shots. He looked buried at the turn.
Then he birdied five of the last seven holes to finish at -14 and watched as Ernie Els wilted under the charge.
Needing a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff, Els hit his tee shot into the water and made bogey.
Ouch. I think I will go ahead and slide Els into the he's-Tiger's-mental-bitch category for the rest of 2008. And no, fatherhood doesn't seem to have slowed down Woods at all.
Up 8 strokes on the rest of the unfortunate bastards who showed up at Torrey Pines. His fourth highest three round lead of his career and highest since his insane 2000 season. Still no mercy rule in golf, so everyone will show up for a nice Sunday stroll around the local public course in San Diego. Unless it pours, which it is supposed to do. So perhaps a Monday stroll around the course, then. Or perhaps they could just hand him the trophy now and head home. Or talk him into this suggestion:
"I think he ought to just play with a 2-iron," said Boo Weekley who is tied for fourth, 11 shots back. "That's it. Just 2-iron and that's it."
Worth a shot.
I mean, we all know that's true, but, damn, he's set on making it an early reminder. Every year is Tiger's year, but this year is REALLY supposed to be Tiger's year, as people are murmuring, in a year where the majors are set up for his game, whether he can pull off the calander slam.
Let's just say, based on what he is doing to the field through two days at Torrey Pines, that talk is relevant.
The other good story? His playing partner today. Kevin Streelman was the last alternate into the field. I am guessing a top 20 (or better) finish would mean a LOT to that guy.
...people watch.
Well, duh.
But it is proving out in numbers that are really staggering. From the LA Times:
"The ratings tell a story that begins and ends with Woods. According to research that traced Woods' effect on television ratings in 2007, tournaments in which he finished in the top five had a 171% increase in CBS' ratings over those in which he did not play or wasn't in contention. The ratings were 4.6 compared with 1.7. In similar tournaments on NBC, the ratings increase was 59%, or 3.5 compared with 2.2. The two-network average showed an increase of 111%, or 4.0 compared with 1.9. Rob Correa, senior vice president of programming for CBS Sports, said Woods' influence on ratings is at least equal to any of the greatest figures in sports."
A survey of, um, "me", confirms the truth behind these numbers. Tiger plays? I watch and am interested. Tiger doesn't play? I don't watch and don't care what happens. Apparently I am not alone. By a long-shot.
Per usual, John Daly found himself unable to actually finish a golf tournament he had started, dropping out of the Hope after the third round. And, as usual, it looks like it was because he still rather enjoys living life more than playing golf on regular sleep. Or not hungover. Or sober. From the LA Times:
" Daly's couldn't make his 9:33 a.m. tee time in the celebrity field at the Classic Club, where he was to play in a group with actors Cheech Marin and Don Cheadle. Classic Club pro Dan Kempton filled in for Daly. "Obviously we'd like to have him here, because this is our marquee day, when the celebrities hit the Classic Club," tournament director Mike Milthorpe said.
Daly has been a regular this week at the Hope's tournament parties. He attended two more tournament parties Friday night, including an after-party, and told one local reporter to ignore the fact that he was drinking. At the first party, Daly sang "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in a duet with Alice Cooper. Eyewitnesses said Daly was helped out of the after-party by an unidentified man.
For the record, Daly went with "rib injury" as the reason for his quitting this time around. Amazing what a career he has had. Amazing what a career he has thrown away at the same time. At least he looks like he is having a good time while doing it, but I hope I don't hear interviews with him a decade from now with Daly expressing regret for what he pissed away. If you are going to be a public embarrassment and so proudly fail to grow up, might as well embrace that.
Try this on for size: eighteen PGA tour players made the cut at this past weekend's Sony Open, yet didn't get to play the final 36 holes. It wasn't because of a rash of food poisoning, though that ailment did cost Kennie Ferrie his final two rounds. Ferrie was actually worse off for having to withdraw than those who fell victim to a new PGA Tour rule. From Bob Harig:
Regular PGA Tour events, which typically start with fields of 132, 144 or 156 players, have long had a 36-hole cut with the top 70 players and ties advancing to the final two rounds.But in November, in an effort to keep field sizes smaller, the PGA Tour Policy Board enacted a new rule: The top 70 and ties still make the cut. But if the cut exceeds 78 players, only the number nearest to 70 continues in the tournament.
In the case of the Sony, there were 87 players who finished at even-par 140 or better. The nearest number to 70 was 69 players at 1-under 139 or better. So 18 players were credited with a made cut and paid $9,699.
I like the idea of making rounds shorter, I really do. And yes, rarely does a player come back from making the cut on the number to win a tournament -- but it does happen(check out #4 on the Weekly 18 from Jason Sobel). So while rarely does a player come back to win, they still would have had two rounds to substantially improve their winnings, spot on the money list, and their standing in the FedEx Cup.
From later in the Harig article:
Some have suggested making cuts the top 65 and ties or -- in the case of a tournament that exceeds 78 players -- let them all play on Saturday and have another cut to 60 and ties for Sunday.
And if that's not enough, Harig and Sobel covered this an other topics in their Alternate Shot segment, in which Sobel discusses the possibility that KJ Choi may be the BPTHNWM. Which, ahem, isn't news to me.
The first full-field PGA Event tees off today at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Naturally, the hype is centered around a certain professional teenager who received an exemption to play in the event.
No, not that one, this one. Tadd Fujikawa made the cut in last years event on the strength of a 36th hole Eagle, then surged to the Top 10 at the beginning of the final round only to falter slightly and end up 20th. Not bad for a then 16-year old kid.
The tournament is held at the Waialae Country Club in the Hawaiian capital.
Daniel Chopra won the Mercedes Championship last night in prime-time, in a playoff over Steve Stricker (who is looking like the mid-ought's version of Vijay Singh). Chopra becomes the latest winner in a stellar list of champions that few tournaments can claim.
Yes, this is partly because the field is open only to those players who won an event in the previous season (Chopra won the Ginn Sur Mer Classic, a post-Fed Ex Cup event, last season) and rarely has more than a field in the low thirties. Naturally, the players that can win tournaments are more likely to be household names. In fact, you have to go back to Mac O' Grady in 1987 before you find a player that wouldn't be recognizable to even the most casual of golf fans.
The 32-year old Swede will hope that in the future, people still look to O'Grady for the first run-of-the mill pro (2 wins, 16 unsuccessful Q-school visits) to win the season opener.
In other golf news, there isn't any other golf news. It's the first week of the season. That didn't stop Jason Sobel from doing the painstaking work of coming up with a Best of 2008 column, however. Hint: Chopra gets the nod for Player of the Year, and Tiger thinks this year's Major Championship courses are a fit for him.
Torrey Pines in three weeks, by all signs.
Noteworthy because it appears that Mickelson will play that event as well. Further noteworthy because, as Woods just turned 32 yesterday, he is in the middle of his prime in a season where the majors set up extra well for his game.
It's never too early to start wondering if he can pull off a slam in one calendar year. Go ahead and begin wondering...now.
Bing Crosby...Sammy Davis Jr...Bob Hope...
If you said Justin Timberlake, you've just won absolutely nothing. But you did win.
"The PGA Tour announced on Monday that the four-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, record producer and actor will serve as host of its Las Vegas event in 2008, becoming the 14th celebrity to host an official tournament.
"I couldn't be more excited," said Timberlake, who plays to a 6-handicap, according to a Golf Digest ranking that was released earlier this year. "We will make sure to make this event unique and memorable."
The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, part of the tour's Fall Series, will be played Oct. 13-19, 2008, at TPC-Summerlin. As part of his involvement, Timberlake will play in the Wednesday celebrity pro-am and host a concert during tournament week."
Ted Purdy, who yesterday I pointed out was at #125 on the PGA Tour Money list, is right now below the projected cut line (-3), with 14 holes to play. He is just over four grand ahead of JB Holmes, #126. If you remember, Holmes is assured of a card but that doesn't mean he can't knock Purdy from the Top 125. Holmes is in the clubhouse, virtually assured of making the cut at four-under.
Kevin Stadler, #127, is in the Top 25 in the clubhouse. Stadler needs to make up 21k on Purdy and 17k on Holmes to secure privileges next season. A high enough finish could vault him ahead of Mathias Gronberg, #124, who is playing the course and also below the cut line.
Don't think that Purdy and Gronberg don't know that they have to be around for the weekend. At the very minimum, they need to be playing this weekend, and with the two young guns directly behind him already in for the next two rounds, the two may need more than that.
JP Hayes (#123) is doing what he can to take the doubt out of being close to the magic 125 number. He's one stroke off the lead through the second round.
Of course, all this pales in comparison to what Tag Ridings is doing. Mired at #210 on the list, more than $300k behind #125, he needs to finish no worse than solo 2nd (I think), and may just need a win, which would not only keep him around next season, but also the next. Ridings is the Clubhouse leader, with Stephen Ames.
That's rising to a challenge. It will be interesting to see how the cut (and the CUT) shake out.
Forget Glory's Last Shot. This is the PGA Tour's version of playing for your meal ticket. That meal ticket being the chance to retain playing privileges on the Big Boy Tour next year without having to go through Q-School.
Check out the Live leader board at the Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart, which shows you the player's position on the money list in the boxes to the far left of the player's name. Anyone in the 110-140 range has a little bit more incentive to play well this week. In all likelihood, only the guys near 125 can go much either way, but the tweeners in the 110-120 range should be interested in making it a no-brainer.
As of 11:15 am, #118 Cameron Beckman is the leader. Ted Purdy, #125 on the list, was in 3rd place, so these guys know what the deal is. #159 Dicky Pride is in the Top 10, but would probably need to finish in the Top 3 to jump into the chosen few. He's currently more than $350k behind Purdy on the money list.
You'd think that all those guys around the #125 number would be concerned. JB Holmes, at #126 on the list, isn't sweating at all, however. He's assured of a card next year because his win in the 2006 FBR Open Punched his ticket for both 2007 and 2008. That's what you might call the nuts in a week like this, if you were the type of person who used poker terms in everyday parlance.
Tomorrow afternoon's cut will be a tense time for the tweeners who will want to make sure they at least stay around to give themselves a shot to secure/snag a place at the table in 2008.
It's impossible to tell if the public image on display by professional athletes is their true self. However, we for the most part prefer guys who seem wholesome and humble. That's why we excoriate guys like Paul Byrd as hypocritical when he goes from god-fearing baseball player to lying cheat overnight.
All that said, it sure seems like Mike Weir is one of the good guys. Weir has struggled with his game in the past seasons, but this season was showing signs that he was on the road back. This road was highlighted by his play at the recent President's Cup which culminated in a singles victory over Tiger Woods.
That's no longer the highlight of Weir's season after winning the Inaugural Fry's Electronics Open. Weir had to get up and down from a bunker on 18 yesterday to secure the victory. After a fair shot to six feet from out of the bunker, Weir rolled in the par putt to claim his first win since the 2004 Nissan Open.
It's hard not to like Weir. He's a Major Champion (2003 Masters) but what I will always remember is the tough round at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah. Playing in the final group with Tiger Woods, a group behind Sergio Garcia, Weir shot a final round 80 to finish well back. He was gracious in defeat, and I seem to remember his comments after the round not being filled with excuses. He simply admitted that he did not play well given the pressure and that he would learn from the experience. He then came back three weeks later to claim his first PGA Tour win, appropriately enough at the Air Canada Championship.
If that wasn't enough to like the guy, this morning I found out that Weir also has his own wine, with plans to open a complete winery in 2008. Here's guessing that Weir had a nice glass of Me Chardonnay last night.
Mike Weir is my new 2nd-favorite golfer. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.
They go inside the ropes. Literally.
ESPN.com's Jason Sobel is caddying on the Nationwide Tour this week for that Tour's leading money winner, Roland Thatcher. The event starts today, but Sobel's series has thus far taken us from the prospect, the practice round, and to the pro-am. Sobel and his loop tee off at 12:44.
Sobel's colleague Bob Harig contributed to the theme as well, letting us know that being a caddie ain't what it used to be.
All in all, a pretty fun series for you golf fans out there looking for a fix.
And I'm not just limiting it to starting threads in The Swamp that get ignored. If I have to, I'll crash a chat with ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:
"AB (Lexington, KY): Who are your X factors for each team this week? I'd go with Choi for the INT team. If he can re-gain summer form, he'll be a tough out. For the US, I think Cink needs to prove that going unbeaten last time wasn't a fluke.
Jason Sobel: (1:07 PM ET ) Hmmm, good question. Unlike at the Ryder Cup, captains can't hide players at the Presidents Cup, where everyone will play at least three and likely four matches, if not five. I think Mike Weir is a huge X-factor for the International side. Looks like Player is going to put him out early each day, see if he can make a few putts and get the local fans pumped up, get some positive energy flowing. Love the thought process behind that. For the U.S., I'll go with Scott Verplank. The last time a big tournament was played at Royal Montreal -- the 2001 Canadian Open -- Verplank won. And last year at the Ryder cup, he very well may have been the team's top player, even though he got gypped out of playing in at least 1 or 2 more matches."
I'm now 1-100 (approximately) in getting into ESPN.com chats. If you need me, I'll be following the action at Royal Monteal.
So it's hard to find a partner for Tiger Woods. We get it. He's got a losing record (14-20-2) in team play in Ryder and President's Cup play. Enough of a losing record that if he goes 4-0 in team play this week, he'll still have a losing record.
Pairing Tiger with the best in the world doesn't work; it was a miserable experience playing with Phil Mickelson two Ryder Cups ago. Putting him with a friend was a mild success; he played OK with Charles Howell in 2003, but both players are in different places now. Pairing him with another grinder has seen the best results; with Jim Furyk, Tiger is 4-2-1 in two events, dating back to the last President's Cup. Furyk is the safe choice.
Who wants safe? Maybe it's time for Jack Nicklaus to put Tiger with a new guy. Maybe he needs to be paired with one of the rookies who make lots of birdies (Hunter Mahan, Lucas Glover) . It would a) allow Furyk to be the calming influence on another player -- Tiger does not need a calming influence; b) put Tiger in a position that he might be able to bring out the best in a rookie, while pressing himself at his normal level; c)take a little pressure off the rookies knowing that the best who might have ever played the game has their back; and d) be the only thing that hasn't been tried before.
The last is the X Factor. Tiger is known for eliminating risks, for avoiding the big number. How about taking a risk once? If his team plays poorly, it's more evidence that Tiger just isn't suited for team play. If they play well, the risk pays off. These team events aren't going to define Tiger the way they have players like Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie. We know Tiger is good. Maybe thinking outside the box is the way to bring out the best in him this week.
I cannot remember less buzz for a team event than for this week's President's Cup. Perhaps its the inevitable letdown from the new FedEx Cup format, perhaps it's just that the President's Cup is contrived anyway, seen as a money-making event in Ryder Cup off years, perhaps its because this year's event is being held in Canada, and perhaps it's just that the name doesn't make any sense. Is it the President of the United States against the President of the non-European, non US world? Maybe I'm showing my ignorance, but I don't even know who the President of the non-European, non US world is. Insert your ignorant American jokes here.
The poor performance of the United States in past team events probably has some influence on the overall disinterest, but we (That's right, I said WE) are the defending champions. The last event was won when Chris Dimarco dropped a putt on the 18th green to win the Cup in dramatic fashion. That may have been the last significant putt DiMarco made; he is not on the team and the US team will miss his competitive spirit and Phil Mickelson will be looking for a partner that matches his game well in the absence of DiMarco. DiMarco's spot as fiery competitor has been taken by Woody Austin, the consummate journeyman who gained a measure of notoriety for his outspoken performance at the PGA Championship.
Key to this year's event will be the play of Austin and fellow greenhorns Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan. The President's Cup is different from the Ryder cup in that all the players will play two sessions, one each on Thursday and Friday, making it impossible for a team to leave inexperienced players on the sidelines. If the Rookies (I almost count Steve Stricker in this category, because his last team event was the 1996 President's Cup) can get some points and some confidence early the US will find it easier to defend the title. If the experience of the International team wins out (their rookies are Major winner/former Match Play Champion Geoff Ogilvy and multiple Tour Event-winning Rory Sabbatini), the US will need the big guns to do what, historically, they have not done, and that is take care of business.
I know AB is the golf "guy" for the Frog, but this bears mentioning:
If you don't think Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all-time, regardless of how many more titles or majors he wins or how many career wins he may be behind whomever, you are retarded.
That is all.
Sorry, I'm a day late. FedEx is disgusted with me. The Tour Championship is underway in Atlanta; the first round was being completed this morning. Tim Clark and Paddy Harrington are on the course in the second round with the lead at seven under. Tiger was six under after the first 18.
You can check out live scoring here, but the best part is the live FedEx points projection. As of this moment, Tiger is the champion. Steve Stricker and Phil Mickelson, the guys with the most realistic shots at catching Tiger, are in the bottom half of the field. If Tiger falters at some point, Adam Scott and KJ Choi could make noise, but would also need a lot of the other guys in the Top 5 to falter, which seems unlikely.
Jason Sobel knocks it out of the park. It's one of those instances where no amount of commentary I can give would add anything of value (hold the "AB, nothing you say ever adds value" jokes, please).
"Moral of the story: Ever since professional golfers have been paid to play the game, they've been complaining about something, too.
Call it a tradition unlike any other. The time-honored practice of bemoaning subtle inequities has hardly swayed in these times of $10 million payouts and lucrative sponsorship deals. Yes, the current crop of stars now owns full use of the facilities at tournament venues, but they have maintained an image forged by players of years gone by."
"..., it's becoming more difficult each day for the common fan to grant comfort to those who may be playing golf on imperfect greens or accumulating a greater portfolio in a way that is less than optimal."
"... the public has accepted a similar notion when it comes to PGA Tour golfers. Add to that the fact that these men are being paid millions of dollars to play a game most fans can't get enough of -- and pay exorbitant fees to play themselves -- and it's easy to see why any grumbling about the current state of the game feels like sour grapes."
Let's see, after yesterday's come-from-behind win at Cog Hill (his fourth such Sunday charge to a win this year), he's now at 60 wins. At age 31. He was at 50 wins one year ago. Gracious.
I will go out on a limb here and say he's got a chance to be pretty good...
Oh, and he now leads (once again) that stupid FedEx playoff chase thingy the PGA has trotted out for the first time this year. If Woods goes ahead and closes it out next week and wins the inaugural player of the year dealie (or whatever they are calling it), the PGA Commish ought to offer to furnish a wing of Woods' estate. Because a Woods win of that "chase" is the only way that thing can be considered legitimate.
Asked by Jason Sobel, of ESPN.com, to Tiger Woods:
"Can you dunk (a basketball, duh)?"
The response:
"No, I can only grab the rim, that's it. I can dunk a tennis ball."
Hood*, the cover is blown.
(Hey, Non-Swampers, you'll never get that joke. Sorry. Some things remain inaccessible, so you should join.)
Have you caught FedEx Fever? No? Really? You're not uber excited for a contrived playoff system designed to generate excitement? The PGA Tour is going to be pissed.
Now, I was a critic of the Fed Ex Cup from the start, and a lot of that was based on pure ignorance. Originally, I thought points re-set and a nobody might get hot and win a tournament and come in fifth in another and win $10 million. Turns out that they seeded the players based on their play during the season. While all 144 players mathematically have a shot, it would take something on the order of two wins and two more Top 10s for someone from the bottom of the pack to be a realistic winner.
At first I did approve of this new information, but now I think I would have preferred a straight re-set. That would have done a few things.
1)Instead of paying lip service to "committing to the Fed Ex cup," players like Tiger Woods would have been forced to tee it up if the wanted the top prize. Speaking of the prize money, it is deferred into the Player's retirement plan, which has some players hacked off because they don't know how to compensate their caddies. Here's a thought: put some money in a retirement plan for the caddie. Yes, you'll have to front some right now, but given the fact that so many caddies end up sick and destitute, why not insure them some financial stability down the line? The caddies will be paid well for each tournament in the next four weeks, the bonus is just that.
2) There would have been real excitement. Since the big gun is sitting out, the possibility exists that the field will bunch up and create excitement. That might work, but wouldn't it have been more fun to watch them all have to "play for their supper?"
Yeah, I'm going back on my original thoughts, but I'm a blogger, who said I have to have journalistic credibility? I've decided to be a critic of the Fed Ex Cup, no matter what they do. I cannot be pleased.
I think that my derision is a product of a system that was meant to add pop to the post-Major season, and to give the PGA Tour some piece of the pro golf's buzz, which is exclusively reserved for the Majors, none of which are run by the PGA Tour. The Tour wanted to have publicity that was theirs alone, not that their players shared with Augusta National, the USGA, the R&A or the PGA of America, with the Tour on the outside, looking in. That's fair, any business wants to be successful, but the system as it stands is open to criticism on several levels. In the past months, I've criticized it from both sides. Maybe that's more a reflection on my spinelessness, but it also may be a reflection on a flawed, convoluted system.
I think that this system was meant to build interest down the stretch, and that is completely self-serving on the PGA Tour's part. As one of the few people who will watch events like the Wyndham Championship, maybe I'm not the type of fan the PGA Tour is appealing to. That might make me unqualified to speak on the merits of the system, but I've always felt that, in many cases, doing things in an effort to reach the casual fan isn't always in the best interest of the sport. I don't want to sound like some golf-purist, scoffing at johnny- come-lately fans. I will watch the golf anyway, and $10 million into some players retirement account doesn't change that. I doubt it will bring Joe Viewer to their TV sets, either.
At the risk of pissing some random Griever off, Brandt Snedeker won his first PGA Tour Event yesterday with a ridiculous final round that was capped off with a 32-foot putt for birdie on the 17th hole.
I admit that I haven't been watching as much golf as I used to (famn damily) but that was as good an event without a Major Championship on the line as I have seen in quite some time. Late birdies (Snedeker), duck hooks under pressure (Tim Petrovic), needing a hole out to force a playoff (Billy Mayfair) and just general golf goodness. Soft greens lead to drama, too!
Maybe someday, Snedeker can get 50 career titles.
Or whatever. The PGA Championship was the last chance for players to earn their way onto the President's Cup team. Outspoken (rightly so) Woody Austin did just that when he secured a solo second to Tiger Woods at Southern Hills. Then it was up to the Captains to round out the squad.
On the US Side, Jack Nicklaus selected Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan. Both make a lot of birdies, but both are rookies. Pairing them with steady old hands like David Toms might befit their games. With Austin, those three are the only team-event rookies in Nicklaus's squad.
The International team was finished off when Gary Player selected Nick O'Hern and Mike Weir. The latter was a no-brainer, since this year's event takes place in Canada. The former beat Tiger Woods in the Match Play earlier this season. Geoff Ogilvy and Rory Sabbatini are the International team's rookies.
In the President's Cup, unlike the Ryder cup where a blind draw is used, the Captain's select their teams to face off, alternating going first. So if Rory wants Tiger on Sunday in the singles, he'll just need to suck up to fellow South African Player to get that chance.
If you've been in a hole or sequestered from the internet, you might think that headline means that Tiger imploded in the final round of the PGA Championship.
You, as usual--ask your wife, would be wrong. Tiger is now five Major Championships behind Jack Nicklaus on the all-time list. Tiger's Major finishes this year were 2-2-12-1...and it's probably a mild disappointment that one of those twos was not also a victory. A career year for anyone else leaves us thinking what could have been with Tiger.
Of all the sports stars that come anointed to be the next great one, has there ever been one so quick and comprehensive in outlining his greatness? Maybe The Great One? Was he expected to be the be-all-end-all? A smidge before my time.
If Tiger fails to win another tournament, let alone a Major Championship, his career will not have been a disappointment to watch.
"bring one up, we'll all take a sup," ah, you get the picture.
That's what John Chaffee has to work through after acing the 13th hole at the Senior British Open. One bottle for each yard of the hole!
Nick Faldo is among the leaders. This is Faldo's first event as a senior.
Sergio Garcia broke out the belly putter last week at Loch Lomond, brought it to Carnoustie, and here's guessing he has every reason to stick with it for a while. El Nino shot a 65 in the first round at Carnoustie.
Scoring conditions were nothing like 1999, when the winning score was +6. Maybe the scores balloon, but the course was at the mercy of the players today. Paul McGinley is in second alone, and a sextet are tied for third. Tiger Woods shot a 69, four back of Garcia.
Quick question: how many kids reading Harry Potter will there be on the course for the weekend, having been dragged there by their mums and dads?
The Best Player To Have Never Won a Major.
No one wants this title. It says, "Hey, I'm good, but not that good." Then, one day, yesterday to be exact, one guy reminds us that he might still hold this title while another stakes a claim that he deserves this unwanted title.
The former is Colin Montgomerie. A blazing 65 gave Monty a win at the European Open and gave birth to dozens of stories for the upcoming Open Championship at Carnoustie. The stories would surround the hard-luck Scot even if he hadn't won in the run-up. With this, the frenzy will be greater. His reputation as a Ryder Cup machine and Euro Stud is secure, but can Monty win a big one?
That said, a case can be made for yesterday's winner on this side of the pond, K.J. Choi. Choi claimed his sixth PGA Tour victory in the Inagural AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. Only eight players have more PGA Tour wins than Choi's six without a Major Championship to their credit. Of those eight, only three could realistically win a Major before it's all said and done: Kenny Perry (9 wins), Brad Faxon (8), and Choi's playing partner yesterday, Stuart Appleby (8). I don't see John Cook (11), David Frost (10), Bill Glasson (7), John Huston (7) winning a major at this point in their careers. Joey Sindelar (7) won a tough Wachovia Championship three years ago, but I'm still putting him in the latter category.
So there stands Choi, who this season has won on two tracks that are either worthy of hosting a Major (the Memorial at Muirfield Village, which may be the best course to have never hosted a Major (sorry Sawgrass)), or have hosted Majors (Congressional County Club yesterday, which has held US Opens previously and will again). The two events this season marked a departure from the events Choi had claimed in the past. These lastest wins were in top tier, strong field events. The other wins are nice, but winning Chrylser Championships and Greensboro Opens is a bit lower on the food chain than winning tourneys hosted by the two greatest players of the past 50 years.
Winning, period, is a step in a golfer's development. Winning again is another step. Claiming a prestigious event on a prestigious course is yet one more step. Proving that you can do that more than once (in the same season, no less) is another. Choi has done all of that.
That's why I think that it's Choi, not Monty, not Sergio Garcia (who has six PGA wins as well), not Adam Scott (5 wins), that may just be the BPTHNWM. It's a title no one wants, but having it means you've accomplished something. It also means that there's still something on your to-do list.
If you're like me, you often find yourself wondering "How do the PGA Touring pros make golf look so easy?" It's a good question, and, other than old-fashioned hard work and practice, there are no good answers.
Unlike most other sports, the layman (that's us) can actually go out and measure themselves in pretty much the same way these pros do: on the course. Yes, the guys with their names on their golf bags play different courses, mostly ones us laypeople cannot reasonably get to for whatever reason. Some are private, some are across the country, some are too pricey or some combination of those three limiting factors.
Still, the USGA has put together a handicap system that reasonably approximates how good of a player you are. If you are a 4 handicap, you'll be pretty close to that after course adjustments are made, and your opponent will be close to what they should be. It's fair, and it's what we've got. It's easy to tell an honest golfer if they play close to their handicap.
Those pros have USGA handicaps, too. I'm guessing that most of them play to about a (+6) or (+7). Yeah, you read that right. You might, however, be missing that your 16 handicap is really a (-16). So if you go tee it up at Isleworth with your good buddy Tiger Woods for a friendly round, he's going to give you in the neighborhood of 22-23 strokes. Of course, it still wouldn't be enough, unless your name is Nick O'Hern or you can convince your European friend to go in on a friendly alternate shot match against Woods and neighbor Mark O'Meara.
That brings us back to the question at hand. Most of the pros have similar handicaps; I am pretty confident in that (a handicap is a measure of the best you can play, so it makes sense) and will use that assumption. How they get there is a different story.
Continue reading "PGA, Stats, Tiger, Phil, Vijay, Furyk, and Sisyphus" »
They say the hot sun of Florida can fry the brain. I should know I lived there twenty years and I still haven't recovered, though I was never quite this stupid.
VENICE, Fla. (AP) -- A man who lost his ball in a golf course pond nearly lost a limb when a nearly 11-foot alligator latched on to his arm and pulled him in the water, authorities said.Bruce Burger, 50, was trying to retrieve his ball Monday from a pond on the sixth hole at the Lake Venice Golf Club.
The alligator latched on to Burger's right forearm and pulled him in the pond, said Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Burger used his left arm to beat the reptile until it freed him.
"I saw him reach down to get his ball and he yelled" for help, said Janet Pallo, who was playing the fifth hole and ran over to drive the man to the clubhouse.
Burger, from Lenoir City, Tenn., was taken to a hospital but was not seriously injured, Morse said Tuesday.
It took seven Fish and Wildlife officers an hour to trap the one-eyed alligator, which measured 10 feet, 11 inches, Morse said.
The pond at the sixth hole has a "Beware of Alligator" sign.
"Unfortunately, that's part of Florida," course general manager Rod Parry said. "There's wildlife in these ponds."
