TGB Go Clubbing: Review of the TaylorMade Rossa Monza Corza

I had the opportunity to try the TaylorMade Rossa Monza Corza putter this season, and after putting with it one time, I never went back to my Odyssey 2-ball putter.

As I described my golf game in my review of the Taylor Made Rescue Dual TP Model, I am a consistent three handicap and played college golf at Ohio Wesleyan University. And I have always been a fairly good putter; however over the past couple seasons, I had been struggling with my putting stroke.

In college, I putted with a Odyssey Rossie II and made everything I looked at. However, I ended up developing a bad case of the yips during my sophomore season. So I switched to the "saw", which is more like how Mark Calcavecchia putts rather than Chris DiMarco putts. And I started to make more and more putts. Then I switched to the Odyssey 2-Ball putter, because I did not feel like I was rolling the ball very well. I always had difficulty lining up the 2-Ball, so this year I attempted to forgo the claw and went back to the conventional style of putting that I used when I was in high school and my early years in college. That did not work out so well, and during a tournament that I played in this summer, my father said while caddying for me: "If you don't switch your putting stroke, you can carry your own bag." So I switched back to the claw, and then putt the Rossa Monza Corza into my bag. And the putter has not left my bag since.

I really like the way that the putter looks. It is a very simple mallet and has a clear line across the top of the putter, allowing me to line up the putter easily. The next thing I noticed was that the putter was pretty heavy, yet went through the hitting zone with extreme ease. The putter also comes with two 6 oz weights in the back of it, and I have used a set of 8 oz weights in it, but I believe the 6 oz weights feel better in the putter. I also noticed that my typical off the heal putt, seemed to roll with good consistency. In fact, I started to make a bunch more putts.

The Rossa Monza Corza putter has a red AGSI (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) face, which is gives the putter a very distinctive look. Also, the putter cover uses a magnet instead of velcro and so far the cover has not fallen apart like both of my Odyssey putter covers did. Finally, the putter grip is a distinctive red and black; however, the red portion of my putter has not maintained its color. Nevertheless, a discolored putter grip does not detract from my love for this putter.

Bottom Line: I have let a few of my friends try this putter, and two of them have purchased their own Rossa Monza Corza. This putter has given me some great confidence in my putting stroke and I cannot wait to get to the greens now!! I would strongly suggest this putter for anyone in the putter market.

Random Golf Musings

So it has been a good bit of time since my last post. In fact, I am not exactly sure what my last post was, but I'd have to guess it was something about my experience at the LPGA event in Columbus or possibly the Solheim Cup. I am not quite sure why I took a long trip to the 19th hole and stopped blogging about golf. Maybe it is the fact that I started a new job, maybe it is the fact that I have started bowling in a few bowling leagues here in Lima, Ohio and have not really played much golf, but I'm going to have to probably face the facts that I was just burnt out...

Yes, I watched the Solheim Cup and the President's Cup. I have also been watching the great play and story of Ryan Moore, who is attempting to get his tour card the hard way. (Finishing in the top 125 via sponsors exemptions). I am watching Bill Haas, who is one of my favorite young players, attempt to get his card through the Nationwide Tour (he currently stands at 16th on the money list and maybe this is why his father Jay has not been playing much and when he has, it has not been pretty). I was watching sectional qualifying of the LPGA tour where both Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang made it to the next round (Pressel shot 63).

However, this past weekend, I played in "The Fall Invitational" which was put on by one of my fraternity brothers and his co-workers. The Fall Invitational pits two teams of 8 together in a Ryder Cup style format. We play Fourball (best ball) and then Foursomes (alternate shot) in the morning on Friday. On Saturday, we play Foursomes then Fourball. Finally on Sunday, we play singles matches.

Honestly, it was probably the poorest I have hit the ball in recent memory. My golf swing felt completely foreign. I would be within 100 yards and instead of hitting it within 10-20 feet--I was lucky to hit the green. I missed some fairways so badly, that if I had hit the ball on a driving range, I might not have kept the ball on the range. It was actually fairly disheartening playing so poorly. But, I remembered why I love this game.

Even though I played poorly, the friendships and people I met during this event were amazing. For instance, I played with a lawyer from a large Ohio lawfirm who I had never met previously. Little did we know that we had a bunch of mutual friends. In fact, I honestly can say that most of the people I've met through golf are class acts. And those in the "golfing fraternity" always seem to be willing to help other "golfing fraternity" members out.

So I guess, I'm going to start posting a bit more about my thoughts and experiences from golf and some other random stuff that I find interesting from the golf world. Also, I'd be willing to take suggestions from those readers of thegolfblog.com. So fire away!

USGA rules changes

The USGA has approved over 100 rules changes for next year, including allowing GPS or rangefinders at the discretion of the tournament organizers. Beautiful, I love it, new technology.

Unfortunately, these changes did NOT make the final cut:

1. Allowing one mulligan per round.

2. Automatic "gimmees" to speed up play if the putt is "within the leather," except if a long, belly, or hammy putter, in which case you have to putt out.

3. If you want to hit your driver "off the deck" (fairway), you can go ahead and tee it up.

4. 1 practice swing allowed in a sand bunker.

5. "10-shot Mercy rule": If you hit 10 shots on 1 hole, you have to pick up your ball and take a 10 for the hole.

Last chance: Question of the Month

Tiger or Annika, better year? Answer here. Winner takes free dozen golf balls -- Titleist ProV1, Nike Platinum One, you name it.

Monday morning quarterback: coulda, shoulda, woulda

The President's Cup ended with the Best Finish Ever. If you missed it (where are your priorities??), you missed high drama and stellar play on both sides culminating in Chris DiMarco's unforgettable birdie on 18 -- he was the last player on the course. More here. With such a competitive and dramatic Cup, there's little sense in second guessing any of the calls made on either side. It was such a masterpiece. But, then again, what would Monday be without some random parting shots on what could've been...

1. Ernie, o captain, my captain: If Ernie Els was not injured, U.S. probably loses.

2. South African connection: Gary Player picked youngster and fellow South African Trevor Immelman as a captain's pick. Trevor went 1-3. K.J. Choi and Shigeki Maruyama were higher ranked in the world rankings, and both had President's Cup experience (Shigeki holds the record for highest points 5-0). I'll say no more.

3. No. 1 and No. 2 ,studs duds: Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh did not play like they were Nos. 1 and 2 in the world. All of the amazing Tigerlike shots were hit by people other than Tiger. Tiger's biggest regret, Not doing better for The Golf Blog's Question of the Month. Vijay's biggest regret, Wearing the soulpatch on my face -- why didn't my wife tell me I look pretty silly?

4. Golden Oldies: This was the oldest US squad ever, with 3 players above 40 -- Couples, Davis Love, and Kenny Perry. All 3 won their singles matches on Sunday, after tough first 2 days. Way to go. Not sure how long they will last. Time to get Sean O'Hair geared up. And when is John Daly ever going to get invited to one of these?

5. Robots v. Mick 'n Marco: Besides Ernie, the biggest thing we missed out on this week: the marquee matchup between Phil Mickelson/Chris DiMarco v. Retief Goosen/Adam Scott, both teams undefeated in the team play. Why didn't Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus make this happen? And can you believe that Tiger Woods is not one of the members of the best U.S. pairing? Maybe Gottabreak80 was right?

6. Captain Jack Nicklaus: Great victory and great sportmanship. We know, by your example, that it wouldn't have mattered if your team won or lost on points. Just one class act.

President's Cup: Best finish ever

The U.S. won the President's Cup, 18.5 to 15.5, but the match was closer than the final score, thanks to miraculous down-the-stretch play from the last two International players Angel Cabrera and Stuart Appleby. They were paired against Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco, respectively, the best players on the U.S. team this week. If you missed it, this was the best finish ever at any of these team events, Ryder Cups included.

(The 1999 Ryder Cup comeback by the U.S. team at The Country Club was pretty amazing, but is forever marred by the hooligan-like activity of a few drunk hecklers and the infamous celebration dance around the 17th hole after Justin Leonard sunk his birdie putt.)

For most of today's singles matches, the President's Cup was looking like one big dud. The U.S. team put up quick leads in 8 or more of the 12 matches. Justin Leonard and David Toms, playing 1 and 2, won their matches to give the U.S. 2 quick points. Kenny Perry finally found his game (shooting 6 or 7 under) and put up another point for the U.S. team. At that point, the US had 14 points and just needed to win 4 of the remaining 9 matches. No problem, right?

Stem the tide: What seemed to turn things around for the International team was Retief Goosen's defeat of Tiger Woods. Neither played exceptionally well, but Retief's putting was on fire. The Goose was, hands down, the best player for the Internationals, going 4-0-1 (almost tying Shigeki Maruyama's record of 5-0). Goose gave a rare defeat in singles to Tiger. The Internationals then later picked up wins from Michael Campbell, Mike Weir, and Peter Lonard. The momentum had swung back, somewhat, to the Internationals.

Captain's pick: The U.S. picked up crucial victories from Jim Furyk (over Adam Scott), and Davis Love (over Nick O'Hern). But the guy who clinched at least a tie for the U.S. team was Captain's pick Freddie Couples, who sunk a clutch birdie putt on the 18th hole to defeat Vijay Singh. It was a great putt for Freddie, who appeared to be fighting a mini-case of nerves or the yips in his very jabby putting stroke all day. But, hey, he made the one that counted most!

Best finish ever: So after Fred won his match, the U.S. had the lead at 17 points to 15 points. Two matches were still on the course: Lefty v. Cabrera; DiMarco v. Appleby. The U.S. needed to win 1 of those matches to win the Cup; the Internationals needed to win both to tie the Cup. Cabrera and Appleby then went on a birdie tear, producing a total of 5 birdies (2 for Cabrera and 3 for Appleby) within a stretch of 3 holes. Both were clearly in some kind of "Zone" because they made everything in sight and were stuffing close approach shots.

But, not surprisingly, given their play this week, Lefty and DiMarco were up for the challenge. Lefty stuffed his approach to 5 feet on the 18th hole and made his birdie putt, to square the match with Cabrera. Lefty thought he won the Cup for the U.S. with a halve, but the official informed a shocked Mickelson that, under the Captain's rules, the play would continue in sudden death (no halves in singles). So Lefty and Angel went to No. 1 for more.

Meanwhile, DiMarco flared his drive into the rough, right next to the fairway bunker on the 18th. Appleby (of 400 yard fame) crushed his drive down the fairway -- is this guy on steroids or what?? DiMarco, while standing awkwardly in the bunker, completely muscled the ball -- which was above his feet -- out of the rough, literally throwing his entire body into the swing and losing his balance on the follow through. Well, it worked. (And Johnny Miller called it before the shot.) The ball stopped 12 feet from the pin. Appleby then wedged his approach to 15 feet, but missed the putt. The stage was then set for DiMarco.

Jack Nicklaus realized that DiMarco's putt was the same as the one Fred Couples had about an hour before. He went up to Freddie to ask about the break (b/c Jack could give advice to DiMarco, although he said he probably wouldn't have). Freddie told Jack, "I don't know... I closed my eyes and just hit it." DiMarco didn't need any help. His putt was money. U.S. wins.

President's Cup: Saturday report card, all tied (11-11)

All tied, 11-11. Full leaderboard.

Best teams in the President's Cup
1. Robot team: Retief Goosen/Adam Scott, 3-0-1, a real juggernaut. What they lack in personality they make up for in play. Spanked Woods/Couples on the 1st day and did not look back. Only 1 draw, going all square against Leonard/Verplank this morning. But Goose/Scott spanked Leonard/Verplank this afternoon, 5-4.

1. Mick/Marco team: Lefty and DiMarco, 3-0-1. Damn, why weren't these guys paired against the robots??? That would've been something. These guys hit more birdies in one day than I've hit all year. Gave a thrashing to the very formidable team of Campbell/Cabrera, 5-up this morning. DiMarco is one of the gutsiest match players around. Captain Jack may have to put DiMarco in one of the first singles matches, maybe against one of the robots.

Heaviest playing partner
Tiger Woods: Jim Furyk has been carrying the lackluster Tiger since the first hole. 6 birdies Furyk; 1 birdie Tiger. Maybe it's time to shave that goatee, El Tigre, to lighten the load? Furyk must be thinking, Who is this guy who's kidnapped the real Tiger Woods? Tiger must have heard my trash-talking, because he sunk a birdie on 16, followed by a ferocious uppercut. The putt turned out to be the winning point for Tiger/Furyk over Singh/Appleby.

Where's my game? award
Kenny Perry, 0-3, by scores of 2-down, 3-down, 5-down.

Best golf commentator
Johnny Miller: this guy is so insightful and dead-on with his comments, it's scary. Said that Tiger Woods looked almost stunned to see Jim Furyk draining so many putts, feeling maybe somewhat upstaged. With the look on Tiger's emotionless face after Furyk sunk another birdie, Johnny's comment was spot on. This guy calls the shot by the sound of the hit, noting if it's one notch up and whether it will be short, etc. Said Miller of the constant errant driving of Woods and Singh: "They're like popcorn, you don't know where they'll pop next."

DiMarco hole in one

Chris DiMarco just aced No. 8. His 8th hole in one in tournament play. With Mickelson, they are 5 under in 7 holes of alternate shot. They're 2 up now. Amazing!

Pairings: why blind?

So why exactly are the pairings blind in Ryder's Cup, President's Cup, and Solheim Cup? The blind system may yield some mismatches, or less than stellar pairings for TV. For example, Tiger and Furyk played against Appleby and Hensby. Wouldn't it have been more exciting for TV if they had to play Vijay Singh and Tim Clark.

I'd prefer to have the following system: (1) Captain A announces first pairing, and then Captain B picks his team to match, (2) Captain B then picks his second pairing, followed by Captain A picking his team to match, etc. This would avoid the "surprise" Captain Curtis Strange said he had when the Euros "frontloaded" their stalwarts in the singles matches. I'm not sure that would be better, but I'd rather see matches that are more fun to watch.

UPDATE: I just saw Captain Nicklaus picking the morning matches. The President's Cup does follow my preferred method I've outlined above. Jack picked one, then Gary. Sorry, I assumed when Jack put Tiger and Furyk last against Hensby/Appleby, it was a blind pairing. But I think he did that because both Tiger and Furyk are injured and he didn't know how well they'd play. It's interesting to see because Jack has put as his No. 1 team: Leonard/Verplank against the robots, Goosen/Scott. No. 2 US team is DiMarco/Mickelson against Campbell/Cabrera. No. 3 Tiger and Furyk now against Singh/Appleby. Full board here.

President's Cup: 6 1/2 World, 5 1/2 US

The teams split the Fourball today, 3-3, giving the International team a 1 point lead after 2 days. The matches were great today, with some close contests, but the TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Bobby Clampett, and Jim Huber were so-filled with hot air and inane comments that I wanted to scream. At one point, Jack Nicklaus had to correct Jim Huber that the matches were not all square -- the International team had the lead. Someone help ... bring in NBC and Johnny Miller, man! Full leaderboard here.

UPDATE:

1. In Match 1, Chris DiMarco just "clawed" a 15 footer for birdie, after which he gave a pretty violent fist pump. Lefty Mickelson gave DiMarco a firm pat on the back. The World team of Angel Cabrera and Michael Campbell then proceeded to miss their birdie putts. All square now, with 1 to play. Tee shots on 18: Wow, Cabrera just laced a 320 drive, passing Campbell by 20 yards and Lefty by 30 yards. All are in the fairway, except DiMarco, who's in the right rough.

Holy smokes! Campbell just hit the flag on his approach shot, but then the ball backed off the left side of the green (he still may be the closest). Holy kamolee! Campbell just used his sand wedge to blade a putt from the rough, the ball was right on target and Campbell was just about in his victory dance, but the ball lipped out. All square.

2. Adam Scott/Retief Goosen, win 2 up, over Fred Couples/David Toms. Ouch, Freddie just hit a great 8-footer for birdie that lipped out. Freddie must be thinking, How did I get paired 2 days in a row against these robots?

3. Two Texans Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank, win 2 up, over Immelman/Weir. Jack Nicklaus called this his best team, both picked up 2 points.

4. Funk/Cink and Singh/Clark, all square.

5. Lonard/O'Hern win, 3 up, over Love/Perry. Apparently, Love and Perry were 2-over par in best ball on the front 9, and 5 down for the match after the turn. Said Ernie Johnson: "That's one pairing we won't see again." Amen.

6. Tiger and Jim Furyk win 3 up, over Appleby/Hensby. Meanwhile, Tiger's got back spasms and has a person holding ice on his shoulder. He also has blonde highlights that make him look, well, like a tiger.

President's Cup (in progress): Tiger/Freddie, 2 down

Yes, after 9 holes, Tiger and Fred Couples are 2 down to Retief Goosen and Adam Scott. Tiger's trying to improve upon his 0-6 foursomes record in the President's Cup, and got his wish in playing with Freddie. Full leaderboard coverage here.

How Big Can Wie Be??

Here is an interesting Forbes.com article about the endorsement deals that Wie is supposed to be signing when she turns pro. The article also compares her package of endorsements to those of Tiger and Annika.

President's Cup, Day 1 Foursomes (alternate shotl)

OK, here they are:

1:10 p.m.: Tiger Woods/Fred Couples v. Retief Goosen/Adam Scott
Tiger got his wish, he's playing with Freddie. Meanwhile, Gary Player picked the 2 quietest (read dull) golfers to match. Edge on paper: US.

1:20 p.m.: Jim Furyk/Fred Funk v. Vijay Singh/Mark Hensby
Furyk and Funk are two of the straightest hitters. Vijay's got the firepower, and Hensby's having a breakthrough year. Don't be surprised if Double-Fs pull this one out, but you have to give the Edge on Paper to World.

1:30 p.m.: Phil Mickelson/Chris DiMarco v. Nick O'Hern/Tim Clark
Chris DiMarco was tenacious at the Ryder Cup, and he's a great complement to Lefty. I don't know much about either O'Hern's or Clark's game, so that must mean that they're not superstars, right? Edge on paper: US.

1:40 p.m.: Justin Leonard/Scott Verplank v. Peter Lonard/Stuart Appleby
Both Leonard (2 wins) and Verplank (T2 TPC) will be hungry after not making the Ryder Cup. The Aussie team of Lonard (105th on Order of Merit) and Appleby (1 win) are formidable, though. Edge on paper: toss up.

1:50 p.m.: Davis Love/Kenny Perry v. Michael Campbell/Angel Cabrera
Another great pairing. 2 wins this year for Kenny, but none for Love. Michael Campbell is having a breakthrough year winning the U.S. Open and then the World Match play last weekend. Angel Cabrera is 3rd on the Order of Merit, with 1 European Tour win. Edge on paper: World.

2:00 p.m.: Stewart Cink/David Toms v. Trevor Immelman/Mike Weir
This is the last team for good reason: a lot of question marks in this group. Can David Toms recover from his heart scare? Can Cink forget about the Ryder Cup debacle? Can Immelman and Weir gain their consistency back? Edge on paper: toss up.

So who will Tiger play with?

Tiger's President's Cup record is 8-7. He is 0-6 in foursomes (better ball) -- yes, that means 0 points and 6 losses. He says he wants to play with Fred Couples or Jim Furyk. It would've been nice if the men had practice rounds like the women did, so the Captain can see how different pairings would work. This shouldn't be a guessing game, boys.

Natalie v. Tiger?

Natalie Gulbis reports she will be on Tiger's 2006 video game. She also says "no news" to report when her reality show will air, but is looking forward to it.

Does Wie seek to change the face of sports (and not just women's sports)?

Obviously, the decision by Michelle Wie to turn pro within the next few weeks is big news for women's golf. But, catching my eye in the story about her decision are these passages suggesting that Wie might aspire to a lot more than just becoming an icon in women's sports:

[Wie] also will enlist the services of the William Morris Agency to secure further commercial endorsements and guide her pro career, shunning traditional golf-management companies and suggesting her long-term aspirations may involve transcending the game as much as dominating it....

Wie's alignment with William Morris formalizes a relationship that began seven or eight years ago, according to an insider, although the agency has no prior experience in representing pro golfers and has struggled in previous partnerships with athletes. By signing with a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based image machine known for its roots in the entertainment industry -- Clint Eastwood, John Travolta and Heidi Klum are among William Morris' more notable clients -- Wie continues to defy any conventional mold. Of course, such iconoclastic vitality has become one of the Hawaiian teenager's strongest marketing assets.

Wie to turn Pro

ESPN.com is reporting that Michelle Wie will turn pro within the next couple weeks.

Thegolfblog.com will continue to keep you updated...

Again in Tennis... Will it ever happen in golf??

The AP is reporting today, (see article here), that organizers of the French Open tennis tournament has decided to pay the Men's and Women's tournaments the same amount. This move makes Wimbledon the only professional tennis major, which does not pay equal prize money. Both the US Open and Austrailian Open already do.

Christian Bimes, the head of the French Tennis Federation, said that this change along with adding an additional Sunday to the tournament schedule is "good for promoting tennis in the world."

So with the growing popularity in women's golf, will this ever happen in my lifetime in the golf world??

Shootout: Jason Gore vs. Annika, Paula, Natalie, etc.

The Golf Channel is airing the Kraft Nabisco Shootout, with the following pairs, best ball: Jason Gore/Troy Matteson (from Nationwide) , Annika/Paula Creamer, and Natalie Gulbis/Julie Inkster. Great pairings: Gore, Matteson, and Annika all won on Sunday! Apparently, the sponsors of the tournament got an earful from Douglas ranting and raving about having more crossover events (see here and here). They finally got sick of all that whining.

UPDATE: It was a fun event, and the women won.
1. Annika/Paula - won the most money for charity, capturing 2 holes plus carryovers (1 by Paula, but the money 8th hole by Annika).
2. Jason Gore/Troy Matteson - needed a birdie on the last hole to avoid placing last, capturing 2 skins and 2 holes (both by Jason Gore).
3. Natalie Gulbis/Julie Inkster - Natalie had some "stuffed" wedges, birdieing 2 holes and capturing 1 skin.

Best "money" line, from Julie Inkster: When asked about how it was playing with Natalie, Julie praised her charisma, good head on her shoulders, and then quipped: "And I wish I could wear my shorts as short as Natalie." Natalie then proceeded to stand next to Julie, to compare their shorts length while in the process showing off her tanned legs.

Is Douglas right, after all?: After the round, Jason Gore said he was really impressed with the women, said they were even better than he imagined. They hit it straight and have great wedge play. Yeah, and they beat you. Kaye Cockerill even asked the Douglas question: "How would you like to get an invite to play on the women's tour?" Jason smiled and punted, "I don't think they'd invite me." Sure, they would, Jason, ... just wait until Douglas is in charge.

Annika: it's over...

Annika defended her title at the John Q. Hammons Classic, after having built up a comfortable cushion and then bogeying 2 of the last 3 holes for a 2-over 73. Paula Creamer finished second, 1 stroke back; she also bogeyed 2 of the last 3 holes.

Said Annika: "For me, it's important to play good at the end of the year. There's a lot of things that are at stake. We're talking money list, we're talking player of the year, Vare Trophy. Those are goals of mine and they mean a lot." She forget to mention TGB's Question of the Month -- who had a better year Tiger or Annika -- but Annika must be thinking: Are you kidding, me? It's over now. No contest. Better luck next year, Tiger.

Jason Gore wins at 84 Lumber Classic

Capping a remarkable three months since first grabbing the golf world's attention at the U.S. Open, Jason Gore today was (just barely) able to hang on to a large back-nine lead to win the 84 Lumber Classic on Sunday. (Details are available from this AP story.)

My take on Gore's recent success is that it proves, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, that half of golf is 90% mental. Though I suspect Gore has played some of the best golf of his life over the last three month, I also suspect that the confidence he gained by playing so well for 3 rounds at Pinehurst has been the key to his elevated performance.

Heart problems: Mallon and Toms

On Sunday, after the Solheim Cup finished, Meg Mallon's heart shot up to 290 beats per minute. (Mallon, of course, had clinched the Cup for the U.S. with her victory.) She had to be taken to the hospital, where she stayed until today. She apparently is doing better.

Today, David Toms had to withdraw after 9 holes of the 84 Lumber Classic after complaining that he "couldn't breathe." Toms was airlifted to a local hospital, and went through a battery of tests. Toms is in critical condition. Stay tuned for more info.

UPDATE: Toms is better and was released from the hospital after suffering a bout of supraventricular tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). It's been diagnosed as curable. More here.

Meanwhile, one apparent medical expert wrote in to say Meg Mallon couldn't have had a heartrate of 290 beats per minute. I'll defer to the expertise of the commenter, although that's what AP reported. I'm not a doctor, but I did check with one, who confirmed that it is possible to have a heartbeat that high if it's atrial fibrillation (which is what Pres. Bush Sr. had). This analysis does say it can cause heartbeats even over 300 beats per minute.

Villegas Leads... Kenny G in Last...

At this week's Nationwide Tour event, the Mark Christopher Charity Classic, Camillo Villegas is leading after shooting a 7-under par 64. During his round, Villegas hit all 18 greens in regulation and made 8 birdies and had a lone 3-putt bogey. (PGATour.com article here.)

In his interview, Villegas said... "My theory is to hit it, find it and hit it again." I love that theory and wish that I could follow it everytime I played.

My "theory" at times seems to be hit it, drop club and then slam it into my bag, find it, bitch about the lie, stomp my feet, then hit it again.

If you check out the leaderboard, (here - at least until Wednesday, Sept. 20) you'll notice that some guy named "Kenny G" is in last place after shooting an 82. Yes, that is grammy winner, Kenny G, who received a sponsors exemption into the tournament. I wonder what it must be like trying to make a living out on the Nationwide Tour and watching a bunch of people out cheering for a musician who is playing golf.

Pretty interesting stuff.

Bigger Story??

Jason Gore tied for the lead after the first round of the 84 LUMBER Classic or David Duval at 1-under after the front nine??

Or maybe you could add Mark O'Meara tied for the lead as well as a potential choice?

Phil to Captain Nicklaus: Pair me with Tiger for Pres. Cup

That's what Phil said. "I think Jack has said he'll put Tiger and me together a lot. I'm really excited to be playing with Tiger." Of course, Phil had the devilish smile when he said it.

The lament of college golf

There is an interesting article over at golfdigest.com discussing the recent trend of top-talented golfers skipping college and heading directly to the PGA or LPGA. The bulk of the discussion, strangely, focuses on college coaches, sounding like a "why me?" pity party: college golf will be less competitive, we can't plan for the long-term development of our teams, wah. The future of golf is in jeopardy because the best players aren't going to school with them for four years.

Sorry to burst their bubbles, but we have to get rid of the misperception that college golf can better prepare you for the pro tour. While it can (and college has prepared many of the pros currently on both tours), college is no longer the only way to become a professional golfer. Ask yourself this: would you rather leave your career in the hands of a college coach, or David Leadbetter? At college you eat crummy food, are distracted by actually having to go to class (and keep your grades up for your scholarship), and have a thousand other things taking your attention away from golf. With the massive increase in golf competition at both the amateur and professional levels (think mini tours, Nationwide, etc), there are plenty of opportunities to hone your game and compete against other hungry players.

Further, we have to get away from the notion that going to college is a requirement for the normal development of young individuals. It is not (and this is coming from a college professor). This is especially the case for athletes who are already prepared to make the next step: college would gain them nothing, especially when you consider the potential earnings that they would forego. Paula Creamer made 1.2 million on tour this year. She would have earned nothing at college next year. If college is really about preparing you to get a good job and have a good life, and you already have those things, why take the detour?

Phil, no clowning around

So how do you get Phil Mickelson to trek out to Pennsylvania to play in the 84 Lumber Classic this week? Well, if you are the owner of 84 Lumber, you fly out a clown to Phil's house for his daughter's birthday with a note saying: "See you next year at the 84 Lumber Classic!" It's a great resort, where they lavish the players and families with much hospitality.

So what did Phil do next: he signed up for the tournament for the first time. No clowning around for Lefty.

Annika: any more questions?

This Month's Question of the Month asks: who had the better or more impressive year, Annika or Tiger. By going 4-1 (best record) at the Solheim Cup, Annika may have "taken it the house." But Tiger's got the President's Cup left. If you want to put in your entry now, vote in the Question of the Month. Winner gets a free dozen golf balls.

What if the US did not win the Solheim Cup?

How would have the media reacted to the fact that Nancy Lopez's two captains picks went a combined 0-4-2. (Beth Daniel - 0-1-2; Wendy Ward - 0-3-0)??

Luckily for Nancy, the US Team won. However, if they hadn't, then the media would have forever questioned her choices.

With Creamer leading the way, US wins Solheim Cup!

As I predicted early this morning, the match between Creamer and Davies set the tone for today's final action at the Solheim Cup. Paula went out fast, shooting a front nine score of 30, by stuffing one iron shot after another, to take a commanding lead in her match at the turn; she cruised to a 7 & 5 victory over an LPGA Hall of Famer. Similarly, the entire US team got off to a very fast start, winning the first five matches to put themselves in a great position to capture the 6 1/2 points they needed in singles to capture back the Cup.

But Europe played tough in the later matches and still made the finish exciting; the match between Meg Mallon and Karen Stupples became the key deciding match. Stupples made a great par and birdie on 14 and 15, but Mallon made great pars on 16 and 17 to clinch her match and to secure point number 7 for the US Team. USA, USA, USA....

Too bad few were watching on this crowded sports weekend.

Singles pairings for final day of Solheim Cup

The final day of the Solheim Cup starts early, and here are the match-ups:

Juli Inkster v. Sophie Gustafson
Paula Creamer v. Laura Davies
Pat Hurst v. Trish Johnson
Laura Diaz v. Iben Tinning
Christina Kim v. Ludivine Kreutz
Beth Daniel v. Annika Sorenstam
Natalie Gulbis v. Maria Hjorth
Wendy Ward v. Catriona Matthew
Michele Redman v. Carin Koch
Cristie Kerr v. Gwladys Nocera
Meg Mallon v. Karen Stupples
Rosie Jones v. Suzann Pettersen

US Captain Nancy Lopez, not surprisingly, spread out the youngsters and the experience, and I think the Creamer v. Davies match might set the tone and the table for what should be an exciting finish.

Who picked this weekend for the Solheim Cup?

The US team came up big in the morning matches on Saturday, taking 3 of 4 to square the Solheim competition at 6-6. Based on the TV coverage on The Golf Channel, the energy on the terrific-looking course from the players and the fans seems amazing. It looks like the event will go down to the wire tomorrow, and I am already excited thinking about how Nancy Lopez plans to set up the US order for the Sunday singles matches.

Too bad no one will be watching the Solheim Cup, because some genius scheduled the event on what just happens to be the most crowded sports weekend of the year!

This afternoon, my Solheim Cup watching is going on at the same time that I am rooting for Notre Dame to beat Michigan in football on ABC, rooting for the Yankees to beat the Red Sox in baseball on FOX, and rooting for Andre Agassi to advance to the finals at the US Open on CBS. And tomorrow, the Solheim Cup finish will be up against the opening weekend of the NFL!

I am sure it is hard to find a a good time for the Solheim Cup, but the Solheim scheduling team could not have possibly picked a worse weekend if they tried. What a damn shame, a major blunder, and a terrible missed opportunity for women's golf.

Kerr Out... Redman in...

Cristie Kerr has woke up this morning with a sore neck and will not play with Pat Hurst in the morning foursome match against Annika and Catriona Matthew. So Nancy Lopez decided to put in Michelle Redman, who was part of the 5 hole smack down laid down by Annika yesterday in foursomes.

Being an armchair captain, I would have placed OSU Grad, Rosie Jones, to replace Kerr and not Redman. But, that is just me.

Why Does the US Team Look Confused??

I had the opportunity to take my lunch break yesterday and watch the end of the morning foursomes Solheim Cup matches on The Golf Channel. (Morning Foursome results are here.)

While at work, I noticed that the US Team was off to a great start. Daniel and Creamer were 2up thru 14; Kim and Hurst were 3up thru 14; and Redman and Diaz were 4up thru 12. So I figured the US Team would continue their momentum and would be leading after the morning 3 to 1. But, then I left work and came home and watched the European team, in true Euro form, make the US team look silly.

Daniel and Creamer ended up halving their match. Kim and Hurst also halved their match. And Redman and Diaz lost their match, which required them to lose 5 of the last 6 holes.

I was at the Solheim Cup press conference when they announced the team, and I personally witnessed Creamer's infamous comment. Having been there, I figured the US Team would be ready to go. They looked confident, excited to play, and full of good team chemistry.

However, when I watched the end of the morning foursomes, I almost threw something at the TV. The US Team looked like they had nothing. Annika and Pettersen were making bombs. Christina Kim, bless her heart, looked like she was trying to lead her softball team to victory. But, it appeared she was so interested in leading cheers, that she did not realize that the European team was laying the smack down on her and Pat Hurst.

Anyways, I hope the leadership of the US Team is ready to get the team ready to go. Because I love this style of tournament.

Solheim Cup: Day 2 morning preview

The pairings are out for the Saturday morning Foursomes (alternate shot).

1. Christina Kim/Natalie Gulbis v. Ludivine Nocera/GwladysKreutz
Edge on paper: U.S. team. 2 rookies against 2 rookies, but Kim and Gulbis already got some Cup experience today and played well.

2. Paula Creamer/Julie Inkster v. Laura Davies/Maria Hjorth
Edge on paper: Europe. The way Laura Davies is playing, I can't go against her anymore.

3. Laura Diaz/Wendy Ward v. Sophie Gustafson/Carin Koch
Edge on paper: Europe. Carin Koch is a Sergio in Cup play (see my earlier post).

4. Michelle Redman/Pat Hurst v. Annika Sorenstam/Catriona Matthew
Edge on paper: Europe. Annika is so hard to beat. Update: Cristie Kerr was supposed to play but she woke up with a neck ache and was scratched. Michelle Redman, who's never won foursomes, was put in her place.
...................................................................

I love Nancy Lopez, but, as you can see, I don't like the looks of the U.S. pairings. The Euros are sticking with 2 of the pairings that won today: Laura Davies/Maria Hjorth and Annika Sorenstam/Catriona Matthew. I like this strategy for the Euros: go with your winning horses who have already had a chance to become comfortable playing together.

By contrast, the U.S. team has only 1 "repeat" twosome, and that's the team of Paula Creamer/Julie Inkster, who got absolutely crushed by Laura Davies in the afternoon. And guess who Paula/Julie get to face again? You got it, the juggernaut of Laura Davies, with Maria Hjorth. Maybe Nancy Lopez felt she needed to shake things up because the U.S. teams lost 2 alternate shot matches and only halved the other 2. But I believe Mulligan's right for once: the U.S. should stick with the winning combos: (1) Rosie Jones/Meg Mallon, (2) Natalie Gulbis/Cristie Kerr. Rosie Jones was on fire (5 birdies in the front 9) -- you can't sit her in the morning! Gulbis and Kerr were clearly playing well, together. Why break them up?

Solheim Cup: afternoon Four Ball matches, Day 1

The Euros lead 5-3 after taking a 3-1 lead in the morning play of alternate shot, and then splitting the afternoon matches in better ball (2-2). Best "money line" of the day: after watching a clip of Nancy Lopez driving in a golf cart, with her husband and former baseball player/manager Ray Knight right behind her in back, commentator Patty Sheehan quipped: "Looks like the left side is riding low."

My assessment for the U.S. team: The Euro team is formidable, no doubt about it. Laura Davies and Annika are likely to win every match they play, but Nancy seems to be getting some good duos, see below. The U.S. team needs to stay close tomorrow in the same formats, so they can be in a position to take the Sunday singles.

1. Rosie Jones/Meg Mallon beat Maria Hjorth/Iben Tinning, 3 up
This is The Ohio State Buckeye team of Rosie Jones and Meg Mallon. Great pairing! Nancy, I'd be using this pair tomorrow for both morning and afternoon.

2. Cristie Kerr/Natalie Gulbis beat Sophie Gustafson/Karen Stupples, 2 up
Natalie Gulbis wins the award already for the Best Dressed Golfer. But isn't the entire U.S. team wearing the same outfit?, you ask. Yes, but ... take a look on The Golf Channel. Natalie just knows, well, ... how to put it together. I wonder, though, if the tailor got the measurements wrong on those shorts. As far as her play, Natalie is getting hot, birdieing 12 and stuffing her shot close on the par 3 13th. Putter seems to have gone cold, though, on 13 and 14 missing from within 12 feet of less. Kerr/Gulbis is a great team. Nancy, stick with it.

3. Pat Hurst/Wendy Ward lose to Annika/Catriona Matthew, 2 down
Annika is so money, she just drained a 30 footer on 11 to win the hole. And then she holed a 15 foot birdie to halve the 12th hole. Annika refuses to lose.

4. Paula Creamer/Juli Inkster lose to Laura Davies/Suzann Pettersen, 3 down
Laura Davies is on fire, 6 birdies in 10 holes. allCarry was right: Laura Davies is John Daly, she's eating up Crooked Stick. Paula Creamer, who's sporting face paint with the American flag, is looking really, really frustrated. This is not turning out to be good day for the 19 year old rookie, but she's facing some serious opponents with worlds of Cup experience. Maybe Paula should rest the morning play and come out in the afternoon. I'd consider switching her partner again, to someone younger now, like Christina Kim. I think Paula needs to relax more.

Solheim Cup: update after Foursomes matches

OK, I was about to send allCarry to the doghouse after giving us the "Edge on paper" for each of the morning's matches that appeared not to be panning out. But crazy things do happen down the stretch of match play, and things shifted dramatically toward the end. Europe 3; US 1. OK, so that's close to the score that allCarry seemed to be predicting. Pure luck.

1st match: Halved. Paula Creamer and Beth Daniel had a 2-up lead on the 14th hole, while allCarry gave a "slight edge" to Euro stalwarts Carin Koch and Catriona Matthew. Well, the Euro veterans salvaged a halve, coming from behind, to make allCarry look not so bad.

2nd match: Laura Davies/Maria Hjorth, 2-1. AllCarry gave the edge to Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis for alternate shot, while acknowledging the long ball hitting of Laura Davies and Maria Hjorth. Yes, allCarry, you were "crazy" on this one, although who can blame you for picking Natalie? And the US team put up a valiant fight.

3rd match: Halved. "Toss up" said allCarry, in deciding between Sophie Gustafson/Trish Johnson v. Christina Kim/Pat Hurst. OK, we'll give you some credit, dear. Yeah, but did you really know that the U.S. team would squander a 3-up lead standing on the 14th hole?

4th match: Annika Sorenstam/Suzann Pettersen, 1-up. You got really lucky on this one, allCarry, giving a "big Edge" to the Euros. There's no way you could have predicted that the US team of Michelle Redman and Laura Diaz would go 4-up after 12, but then lose the next 5 holes!

Solheim Cup: Friday morning pairings

The Opening Ceromony just ended with the captains announcing their pairings. You can catch all day coverage on The Golf Channel at 9-5 ET, and then replayed tonight at 7-9 ET. The first match (foursomes or alternate shot) pits the following teams:

1. 8:00: Carin Koch/Catriona Matthew v. Beth Daniel/Paula Creamer

The Europeans have put out a strong 1st team. Carin Koch, the attractive Swede, is tenacious; she's lost only 2 of 12 matches (8-2-2) and has won 9 points in 3 Cups. Catriona Matthew has played in 2 Cups, picking up 3 1/2 points in Europe's victory the last time around.

Beth Daniel is the oldest US member and has appeared in 8 Cups, while Paula Creamer is the youngest in her 1st Cup. This is a good pairing for Paula against the very experienced Euro team. Beth will be a good, steadying force for Paula (when she has trouble breathing on the first hole, first tee time of the entire Cup), but the Euros will be tough.

Edge on paper: very close, ... I love Paula's game, but (reluctantly) give a slight edge to the Euros. Carin Koch is the Sergio Garcia or Colin Montgomerie for the women (in addition to Annika).

2. 8:10: Laura Davies/Maria Hjorth v. Cristie Kerr/Natalie Gulbis

Again, a very formidable Euro team. Laura Davies (16-13-3) is a seasoned veteran, who is the longest hitter on tour. I watched her play at Wendy's and Laura could have easily shot 10 under. She reminds me of John Daly, and remember what JD did here at Crooked Stick in the 1991 PGA. Laura will help Maria Hjorth (1 previous Cup), who also is a long ball hitter. Cristie Kerr (2 Cups) and Natalie Gulbis (rookie) are good friends and play together often, and have fairly similar games. For alternate shot, that will be key.

Edge on paper: call me crazy, but I think the relatively inexperienced U.S. pairing of Cristie and Natalie fit better for alternate shot. If nerves don't take over, I'd give them a slight edge.

3. 8:20: Sophie Gustafson/Trish Johnson v. Christina Kim/Pat Hurst

Sophie Gustafson (7-5-2) and Trish Johnson (5-11-3) -- 2-0-1 as a team last time -- present a good matchup for Christina Kim (rookie) and Pat Hurst (4 Cups). Christina's a ham off the course, and clearly a fan favorite at Crooked Stick. It will be important for her to keep the energy up and fans into the competition, without letting her emotions get away from her. Pat Hurst is playing really well of late, and she's got experience, so that will help.

Edge on paper: toss up.

4. 8:30: Annika Sorenstam/Suzanne Pettersen v. Michelle Redman/Laura Diaz

Edge on paper: let me just cut to the chase. Annika is 16-8-3 and Suzanne Pettersen is 5-2-1; they played together the last time around and never lost a match. Michelle Redman is a grinder, and Laura Diaz's got game (not to mention a baby on board), but I have to give a big edge to Euros.

Tiger email: wants to play with Freddie or Furyk

It's time again for another email from Tiger. Here are some highlights:

1. PGA. Do you think Tiger was immune to the criticism from the media about his decision not to stick around for the Monday finish of the PGA when he posted a -2 (and was possibly still in it)? Well, Tiger spends 3 long paragraphs at the start of his email to defend his decision:

"I'm not really surprised people have second-guessed me for leaving the PGA Championship on Sunday night. It's me. Everything I do is always critiqued. More so than most players. I lost by two strokes. And I didn't finish second, either. People have second-guessed me for a lot of different things. They were beating me all over the head last year about my swing changes. Why would you ever want to do something like that?

"I have absolutely zero second thoughts about flying home on Sunday night. Not with the quality of players that were up there on top of that board. It would have been different if you had guys who had never won a major before. But everyone up there on that board had won a major except for Thomas Bjorn, and he almost won the British Open. I thought the winning score might even be 5-under.

"Looking at the weather forecast, and how the course was supposed to play in the morning, they said the wind would be no factor. If anything, it might be with the players. That was it. Those guys can make pars coming in. When you looked at the board, they're not coming back. Not all of them. Maybe one or two of them if something fluky happens."

My shot: Tiger, relax man. Forget about the media. You took a gamble and, you know, man, you were RIGHT! The next time around just say: "Scoreboard" like they do at high school football games. On second thought, maybe that's not the best comeback, since you lost. OK, here's something better: "No harm, no foul," or "kiss my..."

2. Driver control: Tiger thinks his driver is coming into form (2d in driving distance) and he doesn't care much about the stat for driving accuracy (182d in driving accuracy). "I've got a better chance being in the first cut of rough with a wedge than somebody in the fairway with a 7-iron."

3. Sean O'Hair: PGA rookie Sean O'Hair called Tiger up to play a practice round. They finally did at the Deutsche Bank. If you've followed Tiger before, the guy usually has the first time of the morning and likes to finish his practice rounds before most people are even starting. Tiger said his motto: "Play fast and have fun." Of Sean O'Hair, Tiger said: "He's a nice kid. He said why do you play so fast, and I said, do you have a yardage book? Do you see the fairway there and do you see the green with the flag on it? Has that ever changed since you've been playing golf? We had a good time." Apparently so, but did O'Hair steal your mojo, Tiger, or what happened at the Deutsche Bank?

4. President's Cup: Tiger said he'd liked to be paired with Phil Mickelson at the President's Cup....just kidding. No, Tiger says he likes playing with Fred Couples (from past events), or Jim Furyk. Of Furyk, Tiger said: "I really would like to play with Jim Furyk. I've never played with Jim. He and I have been on every team together since 1997 and have never played together." Somebody tell Jack.

5. PGA negotiations: As allCarry wrote about here, the PGA will be in much anticipated upcoming negotiations with TV networks. The problem: all of the networks lost money on golf, after having agreed to a huge deal for the PGA in 2001. Many in the media don't see that happening again; ergo, the problem. How big a deal is this for the PGA? Well, the Commish Tim Finchem consulted with Tiger about the negotiations. Said Tiger: "At the NEC, I met with PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and talked about everything about the TOUR. We're still waiting on NASCAR for our negotiations and the future of our sport, TV-wise. I also think you'll see a shorter official season in 2007." OK, great, maybe they can have a joint NASCAR/PGA event, with Phil driving Ford and Tiger driving Buick.

Supreme Court justices, their golf handicaps

As promised here (sort of), we're beefing up our coverage of the Supreme Court and golf. The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who passed away over the weekend, was an avid tennis player and sports enthusiast, but apparently not a golfer. As I noted earlier, the man who President Bush has now tapped to become the Chief Justice -- Judge John Roberts (who is a former law clerk to Rehnquist) -- is a big golfer and, according to Golf Digest, sports a 14.5 handicap. Roberts is also a big squash player.

Other Justices and handicaps:

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - 12.8. Very impressive, as fitting for this justice. At age 75, and with her ailing husband, probably not playing as much, if at all, as before.

Justice John Paul Stevens - 25.2. Justice Stevens lives in Florida all year, so you might expect his handicap to be lower. But remember he is the oldest justice on the Court, at the age of 85, so this handicap is very respectable. Stevens wrote the now famous Casey Martin decision, allowing him to play with a cart on the PGA tour.

If South Korea could field a team for the Solheim Cup...

The South Korean golfers won't be at the Solheim Cup (it's only between the US and European tours). But, if they could participate, here's the impressive team they could field:

South Korean team
1. Birdie Kim (U.S. Open winner)
2. Jeong Jang (British winner)
3. Soo-Yun Kang (winner in Portland)
4. Mi Hyun Kim (5 career LPGA victories)
5. Gloria Park (9 Top 10s this year)
6. Jimin Kang (winner Corning Classic)
7. Hee Won Han (3 career LPGA victories)
8. Meena Lee (1 career LPGA victory)
9. Shi Hyun Ahn (2004 Rookie of Year, 8 top 10s)
10. Young Jo
11. Aree Song
12. Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Joo Mi Kim, Sae-Hee Son, Il Mi Chung, Sung Ah Yim, Young Kim, or Young-A Yang

Solheim Cup preview

The Solheim Cup (the Ryder Cup for women) gets underway this week at Crooked Stick, in Indiana, site of John Daly's first major victory. US leads the series, 5-3, over the Europeans, although the Euros won big last time in Sweden (17.5 to 10.5).

U.S. Team
1. Cristie Kerr
2. Meg Mallon
3. Julie Inkster
4. Rosie Jones
5. Pat Hurst
6. Natalie Gulbis
7. Christina Kim
8. Paula Creamer
9. Michelle Redman
10. Laura Diaz
11. Wendy Ward
12. Beth Daniel

European Team - reviews here
1. Annika
2. Laura Davies
3. Ludivine Kreutz
4. Maria Hjorth
5. Iben Tinning
6. Trish Johnson
7. Gwladys Nocera
8. Sophie Gustafson
9. Karen Stupples
10. Suzann Pettersen
11. Catriona Matthew
12. Carin Koch

Strong showing for three of LPGA's Big Five

As detailed more fully in this post, I think the golf media and the LPGA should be heavily promoting the players I am starting to call the Big Five of American women's golf: Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Christie Kerr, Morgan Pressell and Michelle Wie. The results from this week's LPGA State Farm Classic reinforce my view.

Though Pat Hurst was able to run away with the victory at the State Farm, the three members of the Big Five in the field all finished very strong. Kerr placed second, Gulbis tied for third, and Pressell tied for fifth. More proof that, even without bikinis, the LPGA's future is very bright.

A tired Tiger?

On a day when two golfers shot 63 and many other rounds have been posted in the 60s, Tiger Woods had another lackluster tour around the links at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. (Full leaderboard here.) He needed a birdie on the closing hole to post a +1 score of 72 today, and Tiger finished the day tied for 42nd going into Monday's final round.

Amazingly, since he missed the cut at the Byron Nelson, Tiger has finished no worse than 4th in his last seven tournaments (a run which includes the last 3 majors). But now Tiger is on pace for one of his worst finishes of the year. Could he be tired after a long, and very successful, season?

One fan's lucky day: caddy for Natalie?

Natalie Gulbis's website (go to NG features) has this endearing story about how one of Natalie's fans got to caddy (err, drive the golf cart) for her during the Pro-Am at Wendy's. So how big star is Natalie's star attraction? Well, let's see, she was put in the foursome of the CEO and the CFO of Wendy's, plus 2 other big wigs of Wendy's. Now, we're talking -- Natalie, straight to the Top.

Anyway, Matt Conway, the lucky soul, raved about Natalie, finding her not only "the most beautiful woman in the world," but also "very nice, very sweet," and "so friendly and down to earth." Wow, that's a compliment if I ever saw one. But who can fault this guy for a little hyperbole? There's no disputing the sweetness factor.