todd hamilton leads amex

Todd Hamilton shot 6 under and is leading the Amex. Someone still needs to explain to me how this guy did not make the Ryder Cup, but Justin Leonard would have had he won the PGA. Is the British Open just not good enough?

tiger: bad back

Tiger has a bad back, so may have to pull out of the Amex. Meanwhile, rumors are flying that he's set to get married soon in Barbados. Someone's rented out all 100 plus rooms in one hotel.

UPDATE: Well, the cat -- er, tiger -- may be out of the bag. Barbados news is reporting the wedding.

UPDATE 2: Perhaps this is fitting of Tiger's year, but now his new video game is on the fritz and needs, well, a mulligan.

moe norman: the best ball striker ever?

USA Today has an excellent article about Canadian Moe Norman, who just passed away recently. I didn't know much about Norman until this article. It's the most interesting golf story I've read all year.

the 9.45 million dollar man

Was there any doubt? VijaySingh won again this weekend (No. 8), at the 84 Lumber Classic. He's now set the record for single season earnings, beating Tiger's record. Vijay has 4 more events to surpass the $10 million mark.

At 41 years of age, Vijay deserves tremendous accolade for becoming the No. 1 player in golf. True, he's not flashy or very exciting, but his hard work and long hours of practice have definitely paid off.

poy: vij at it again

Vijay Singh took the lead after the first day of the 84 Lumber. If he wins, he will best Tiger's single season record for money list earnings. Two more wins and he will tie Tiger's single season record of 9 victories. Is there any doubt who's player of the year?

Meanwhile, Tiger pulled out of the tournament earlier this week, citing fatigue after the Ryder Cup.

more ideas for the U.S. team

In order to make things competitive again, the U.S. Ryder Cup team needs to do things differently. No, we don't need to draft Mike Weir or Vijay Singh (although that would be very nice if we could). Here are a few more ideas:

1. Selection process: as some have already suggested (see below), we need to change the selection process to focus on a 1 year period, during the year of the Ryder Cup. Under such a system, Todd Hamilton would have qualified this year -- having won 2 tournaments, including the British Open. Also, perhaps some weight should be added to how the players do in the Match Play Championship. Having a team tryout would be an interesting idea, but given the tour schedule, probably not workable.

2. Course selection: Oakland Hills looked like a fabulous golf course, but it did not play to the strengths of the U.S. team. Let's see your top players are Tiger, Phil, and Davis, who can bomb it 310 plus yards on a regular basis. So what does the PGA do? Selects a course that has only 2 par 5s. When you have home course advantage, you've got to select a course that will advantage your players. BethPage Black could have been a very good site. That's where Tiger and Phil finished 1 and 2 at the 2002 U.S. Open. And also where Sergio Garcia had a near melt-down, when he waggled the club 25 plus times before each shot -- just think of the bad memories the course would have brought back for Sergio. And don't forget how rowdy the NY fans can be. That's key, too. And if the site were BethPage Black, John Daly should have been on the team this year. JD can bring fire back to the U.S. team.

3. Practice: Practice should be TEAM practice, in the same format as the players will play. That means Phil Mickelson should not be out on another course away from his team during practice rounds. Since most of the players are familiar with singles matches, I'd have them focus on better ball and alternate shot during practices. And, if I were captain, I'd pair them up in the probable pairings and have them play some mock matches against each other. Bring the guys in a little early and have them run through a dress rehearsal.

george white on the ryder cup

In his editorial entitled "Difference Is Obvious - Euros Just Better," George White diagnoses the state of U.S. Ryder Cup golf. Here's a flavor:

"The U.S. has now failed to win in seven of the last 10 matches, and that stretches way back to 1985. It would have been eight of 10 except for that fantastic come-from-behind win at Brookline in ’99.This won’t be another piling-on sermon, however. I’m convinced the Americans tried as hard as they could. But honestly, it never was a competitive match... Maybe now they’ll realize that Europe has the better team despite their country-bumpkin attitude, and has for two decades now.

"It’s time we in America faced the funeral dirge. Our team isn’t as good as their team. Criticism of the captain, criticism of the players would be wonderful if they were relevant. But the criticism isn’t justified.Simply put, we got thumped, and we got thumped by a team of much better players."

enough is enough

I've seen enough...2 days of stellar play from Sergio, Paddy, Luke Donald, Darren Clarke, Monty, Lee Westwood, the list of names can go on. With Europe now leading 11-5 (and needing only 3 more points), one thing is pretty clear to me: the Europeans excel in the Ryder Cup team format. They are the favorites and should be the favorites every single Ryder Cup until the U.S. can prove otherwise. The Euros have a number of "go to" guys, who almost assuredly will win points. Sergio Garcia's record is something like 8-0-1 lifetime. The guy just thrives in this format, so too Monty, Paddy, and the others mentioned above. Even the Ryder Cup rookies Paul Casey and David Howell came up big, playing together in their first match to beat Furyk and Campbell by winning the last 2 holes.

And, for whatever reason, the "top guns" for the Americans don't excel at this format. Over the past two days, here's their record: Tiger (1-4), Phil (1-2), Davis (1-4), Jim Furyk (0-4). Hal Sutton will be forever second-guessed about his pairings. But let's be honest, the pairings of the Americans would have done little to change the overall score. The "go to" guys of the Europeans can play with anyone. The Americans don't have any "go to" guys anymore, at least not in the Ryder Cup.

phil benched

Hal Sutton's seen enough: Phil won't be playing on Saturday morning fourball. Tiger's new partner is his good buddy Chris Riley -- someone I suggested on Wednesday. I won't say I told you so, but it seemed like a good idea to pair Tiger with someone he can relax with.

Of course, now it's easy to second guess Hal Sutton's pairing of Tiger and Phil together. But, you know, the Euros often pair their best players together -- like Monty and Paddy. Curtis Strange put Tiger and David Duval together in 1999, when they were No. 1 and 2 in the world. Even though they are buddies and have played well together, they got beat by Clarke and Westwood. I wouldn't have paired Tiger and Phil together, but, quite frankly, I don't think it would have mattered who Tiger played with against Monty and Paddy--those guys birdied 6 of the first 8 holes and were totally on fire. Monty's Ryder Cup record is incredible, while most of the Americans (including Tiger's) is pretty unimpressive. None of the American big guns was exactly lighting the course up. They just got outplayed by the Euros.

in deep ... trouble

Well, the afternoon did not turn out much better for the U.S. team. Only Jay Haas and Chris DiMarco won. Every other US team lost. The score is now 6 1/2 to 1 1/2.

Worst moment: Tiger and Phil squandered a 3 up lead to go 1 down. They pulled even on the 17th. Phil then proceeded to hit his Callaway 3-wood (which he's never played in competitive golf) way left right against the out of bounds fence. Tiger had to take an unplayable. It was all over. The look on Tiger's face when he saw Phil slice his drive way left -- some 30 to 40 yards -- said it all. "What the heck was that?" I'm sure Tiger was thinking.

The rest of us should be thinking: What the heck did Phil switch his trusty Titleist driver and woods for, just a week before the Ryder Cup? Bad move. If he had any conscience, he'd pull out the Titleists tonight.

What was Hal thinking??

I am sitting here watching the Ryder Cup, and I'm about ready to throw something at the television.

I read Riley's article in SI, which was posted about by mulligan earlier, and I honestly agree with it. The Europeans are going to smoke the US team.

Here are a couple of things that I've noticed, some are supposed to be in fun and others are serious:

1. Why pair Phil and Tiger?
Clearly Phil is just an idiot to switch golf balls the week before the Ryder Cup, but that is another story. Phil cannot hit a fairway to save his life, but Tiger should be used to that because he cannot hit a fairway either. But, my biggest gripe comes down to personality and congruency in their playing style... Phil has always been the "Happy go lucky guy" and he almost looks like he is surprised when he plays really well... Tiger is more deliberate and doesn't really fit well with anyone, except maybe Cink... Anyways, I really did not like the pairing of Phil and Tiger, and they certainly didn't perform, and it looks like Tiger is frustrated playing with Phil.

2. DiMarco and Hass were Amazing!!
Now, DiMarco and Hass was an excellent choice. DiMarco is a fireball and Hass is a bit reserved, but he has a recent college graduate who brings a bit of life to him. I saw some fist pumps and emotion in this group, and I really enjoyed watching them win 2up.

3. Where is Phil's visor?
Phil always wears a visor, and maybe he is playing so poorly because he isn't wearing a visor. His hair definately needs to breathe...

4. The fans seem ready to rumble, but the US hasn't produced...
Every once in a while, you'd hear a bunch of screams when a US team member did something wonderful. This could be an exciting, almost Brookline Ryder Cup if the US team finally gets it going!!


It should be fun, but Hal needs to get the team ready to go!

moral victory: riley saves a halve

Ryder Cup rookie Chris Riley sunk a clutch 5 footer on the last hole, to salvage a halve. The U.S. avoided the dreaded morning sweep. It's 3 1/2 points for the European team to just a 1/2 point for the U.S. I've been on Chris's case before, for missing key putts on 18 at the Buick and PGA. His putt today was pretty crucial, though. Well done. On to the afternoon alternate shot matches.

The big matchup: Darren Clark and Lee Westwood v. Phil and Tiger.

fast start for Euros

The putters seem to be working for the European team, but not the U.S. The Euros are off to a fast start, making every putt in sight.

Monty and Padraig beat Tiger and Phil, +2.
Darren Clark and Miguel Angel beat Davis L III and Chad Campbell, +5.
Sergio and Lee Westwood are beating Toms and Furyk, +4.

The only U.S. team with a chance of winning in the morning are Stewart Cink and Chris Riley
v. Luke Donald and Paul McGinley.

The big match up: Monty and Padraig got off to a really fast start. I think they ended up -6, best ball. Tiger and Phil played well, but could not match the European firepower. I think they ended up -5, best ball.

news flash: tiger and phil, together?

Holy cowabunga! Hal Sutton has indicated he will pair Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson together in the first day of the Ryder Cup. The sensational pairing was thought by most, including me, to be out of the question, since Tiger and Phil are not exactly chummy together. Whatever happens, it sure makes some exciting drama!

UPDATE: Their opponents are Monty and Padraig Harrington. Pretty formidable.

rick reilly

Rick Reilly of SI has a pathetic article predicting the Euros will win the Cup. It's pathetic not because of the prediction but because of the drivel he throws out to support it. Here's a sample:

"It doesn't matter how much better America looks on paper. It doesn't matter how many majors and millionaires America puts in outfits so ugly that trains must take dirt roads. It doesn't matter that it's a home game for the U.S., and that Detroit crowds will be foaming white at the mouth, or that this whole thing sets up like the biggest rout since Camilla v. The Sausage.

Why? Because of the B.J. Thomas Factor, that's why.

Thomas wrote a huge hit called Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head. It went gold. It went No. 1. It was in a movie. And then nobody ever heard from B.J. Thomas again. Ever.

Europe always suits up a B.J. Thomas. It's always some shy little guy whose face is obscured in the team picture, whose jacket is too big for him, who gets an elbow in the eye at the opening-night dinner as people reach over him trying to get Monty's autograph. "

This guy was national sports writer of the year 9 times? Are you serious?

sutton to tiger: step up

Here's an excellent article in USA Today about Hal Sutton's long meeting with Tiger. Hal says he will do everything in his power to have Tiger in a position to pick up 5 Ryder Cup points. Who will Tiger be paired with? Don't know. His buddy Chris Riley is a possibility. Fred Funk, another.

ryder cup chatter

Tiger says that the rumors about a break-up are absolutely false. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan made a cameo appearance at dinner to psych the team up.

euros: traveling in style

Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic flew the European Ryder Cup team in on an Airbus 340 -- here's a pic of the massive plane. Apparently, it's very plush inside. Padraig Harrington said people were getting foot massages and manicures. Gotta love that.

annika

Just as Vijay won No. 7, Annika closed out her 7th victory of the year (and 5th on the LPGA tour). Both have 1 major this year, but Annika has won 5 events in each of the last 5 years -- a feat not even Tiger or Vijay has matched. Annika is amazing.

phil's equipment changes

Does it make sense for Phil to switch his driver and golf ball right before the Ryder Cup? A number of viewers of the Golf Channel have questioned Phil's timing of his equipment change. I wonder how long he's been practicing with the Callaway driver. Of the American Ryder cuppers in the Canadian Open, Phil finished last.

DD: making my way back

David Duval has made the last 2 cuts, finishing 13th at the Deutsche Bank and 52d at the Canadian Open. Even better, his drives are now hitting the fairway with some regularity.

oops, vijay did it again

Vijay won No. 7, the Canadian Open. It wasn't that pretty, though, as Mike Weir lost in a playoff after failing to convert several makeable putts -- the last a 5-footer in the 2nd playoff hole that would have won the tournament.

9/11

We honor and remember those who died tragically this day, three years ago. CNN has a report here.

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the tiger run: will it ever occur again?

Chris Lewis of SI tries to put Tiger's past dominance into perspective. Here's a snippet:

"But the rest of the show was a dead-serious demonstration of shots Tiger had added to his arsenal, specifically for major championship venues: the stinger two-iron he relied on to avoid each and every one of St. Andrews' bunkers, for example, and the sweeping draw and tight little cut he employed off the 15th and 18th tees at Augusta. By the end of his display, Tiger had hit about 75 shots, each aimed at a specific driving range yardage sign. Uncannily, he landed all but two of them within five or 10 feet of its mark. Never had I seen a man so utterly in control of his golf ball. ***

"[T]he kind of genius that Tiger brought us in 2000 and 2001? About as likely, I think, as the second coming of Bobby Fischer."

shooting the breeze with vij

USA Today has a nice interview of Vijay Singh today. Here's a flavor:

"Golf is a passion that will stay with me forever," said Singh. "It's all I know. It's all I've wanted to know from a very young age." Singh, 41, says he "eats, sleeps and drinks golf," but he does make time for a variety of interests and activities with his family, wife Ardena and son Qass, 14.

Q: Who will win the Ryder Cup (which begins next Friday)?
A: All the Americans are playing a lot better. They've played Presidents Cups and Ryder Cups and they're molding much better as a team than they were six years ago.

what will phil do next?

Here's proof positive that Phil's turned into the cover boy for Callaway. What a smirk! Of his club change, Phil said:

"This has been a wonderful year for me," Mickelson said. "Starting with my first major championship at Augusta, and then by continuing to play with more consistency than I have at any time in my career, I have been able to accomplish a lot. The two areas I have stressed this year have been driving the ball in play and having optimum distance control from 150 yards in. To further my progress in those areas, and to help me achieve my ultimate goal of becoming the No. 1 player in the world, I felt it was necessary to switch to the exciting new driver and golf ball technology from Callaway Golf."

More about the change from Callaway.

ryder cup: one week away

Hal Sutton has a plan for the Ryder Cup. It appears he will be taking a page out of Seve's book and take an active presence out on the course. Growing up, I really liked Hal's swing and fiery determination. I met him once at Pebble Beach, and he's a really nice guy. Out on the course, though, the guy turns into a fierce competitor. Just what the U.S. team needs to win back the cup.

world golf

Golf has become such an international sport these days. With the Ryder Cup next week, I am struck by the fact that the 4 majors are limited to just 2 countries: 3 in the U.S. and 1 in Britain. Tradition has a lot to do with it, but I wonder if golf will one day include a major championship from some other country (as an aside, why is the Canadian Open such a low profile tournament?), or at least one regular event in a foreign country for all the top players to play. I think it could only help increase TV revenues for golf by expanding interest across the globe. Major league baseball and football have already organized such limited international events. I don't think the PGA or USGA needs to go overboard, but a tournament abroad -- perhaps run jointly by another tour -- might be worth considering.

email from tiger

Tiger's sent out another email. Here's a sample:

"As for my game, the pieces are really starting to fall together. I didn't win last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship, but it was by far my best ball-striking week of the year. In the second round I didn't hit it that great, but my mistakes weren't that bad and I was still able to shoot a good number. My good play started at the Wachovia Championship in May and continued through most of the summer. I think I have eight Top 10 finishes in my last 10 starts, which isn't too bad. Winning is just timing, where you make that crucial putt or hit that great iron shot. Vijay Singh has done that better than anyone this year.

"I had a good run at No. 1 - 264 weeks - and now it's time to start another one. I will say this: It's much easier to become No. 1 in the world than it is to stay on top. Somehow, I managed to do it for five years.What happens is you get on these little runs, you play great golf and everything goes your way. You gotta capture those moments."

My take: I agree Tiger's ball striking at the Deutsche Bank was his best all year. His driver is much more consistent, and he's putting himself in much better position to score. One thing that has also changed during this stretch, however, is Tiger's "fear factor." He no longer strikes fear in the other top competitors. It used to be that when Tiger got the lead or near it, others would start crumbling left and right (just ask Davis, Phil, and Ernie). Those days may be gone.

tiger split?

Several news outlets (including ESPN) are reporting the rumor that Tiger is splitting with fiancee Elin Nordegren. Until either makes an official statement, the rumor will remain rumor.

UPDATE: More speculation from the U.K. I really hope this rumor didn't start b/c someone saw that Elin wasn't following Tiger at the Deutsche Bank this weekend. Maybe Elin had another engagement, or just doesn't like Boston.

UPDATE 2: An unnamed source says the rumor is absolutely false -- Tiger and Elin are still together.

mickelson dumps titleist

Wow. Here's a news flash. After trying to renegotiate his contract with Titleist, Phil Mickelson decided to part ways with Titleist and switch over to Callaway. He'll be playing Callaway balls and using a prototype Callaway driver, plus Big Bertha woods. The irons will take some more time, since Phil likes the blades and Callaway makes cavity back irons. Callaway designer Roger Cleveland will be working with Phil to design irons he likes. In the meantime, Phil could use Ben Hogan blades, since Callaway reportedly owns Ben Hogan.

Phil will be the premier player using Callaway. The big names using Callaway today are Charles Howell III, and, of course, Annika Sorenstam. Phil will take Callaway to another level on the men's tour and will no doubt earn more endorsement money. I never really liked pros switching away from clubs they've hit very well in the past, especially to clubs that they've never had success with before. Corey Pavin did it after he won the U.S. Open, and then we never heard from him again. John Daly did it after winning the PGA and then he vanished (for a number of reasons) until his British victory. Phil had such a great year this year that I wish he would have waited a little bit longer, so that he could test whatever irons Callaway develops for him before signing on. It's true that Phil probably could hit any club, but, hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it... or fiddle with it.

vijay, new No. 1

Hats off to Vijay Singh for winning his 6th tournament of the year, and staring down a semi-surging Tiger Woods at the Deutsche Bank. Vijay has ended Tiger's 264-week streak at No.1.

Vijay is a great testament to the adage, practice pays off. There is no one on the tour who practices and plays as much as Vijay. He earned his No.1 status. Well done!

earl woods: cancer relapse

We wish the best to Earl Woods, who has been suffering through a relapse of prostate cancer. The article doesn't say much about his prognosis, except that radiation therapy appears to have helped treat a tumor in his eye. We wish Mr. Woods a speedy recovery.

michelle wie

If you missed the 60 Minutes exclusive of Michelle Wie this past Sunday (as I did), here's an excellent recap. I like the fact that she practices 3 hours a day during school days and 8 hours a day on the weekend. That kind of regimen would put her in the vicinity of Vijay, in terms of practice -- although probably no one can surpass Veej.

.18

It's now very simple: If Vijay ties or beats Tiger at the Deutsche Bank this week, he overtakes No. 1. Both golfers, however, may be a little distracted, as Hurricane Frances heads for Florida, where they both live. I don't know much about weather, but this appears to be a monster.