It's hard out here for an LPGA pro

Jerry Potter of USAToday has an excellent article about LPGA rookie Brittany Lang, who is among the largest class of 37 LPGA rookies this year. While still without a victory, Lang has done respectably on tour, placing 25th on the money list with $351,875. (By comparison, Mike Weir is 25th on the PGA tour money list with $1,815,323.)

To borrow from Three 6 Mafia's famous title, it's hard out here for an LPGA pro. In following the LPGA players last week, I realized just how hard. So many players get no media coverage at all; they are complete unknowns to the public. The women try their best every day, but the purses on the LPGA are modest, droping off to very low levels outside of the top scores. For example, at the Wendy's last week, if you placed 23rd (a respectable finish), you earned less than $10,000. And the purses dwindle even lower after that.

Currently, the 120th player (Jennifer Rosales) has earned only a little over $40,000 for the year. At 130th, the income earned so far is barely over $25,000. At 135, it's barely over $20,000 for the year -- close to the poverty line for a family of 4. By contrast, on the PGA tour, 135th place on the money leaders currently has earned $438,669!

What does this mean? The LPGA has a lot of catching up to do. Michelle Wie should help, once she becomes an LPGA member. And for those who question if the LPGA should ever market the sex appeal of its players, c'mon get real: this is a business and people's livelihoods, not just a game. The LPGA smartly has started marketing its players like any other business would.

Sergio Garcia dating Greg Norman's daughter

Sergio Garcia is dating Morgan Leigh Norman, the 23 year old daughter of Greg Norman who is interested in the culinary arts and attends Boston College. More about the dating here. Morgan Leigh's picture is below, while her recipes can be found here:


source: www.shark.com

The Big Easy report

This was a pretty decent week’s work totally ruined by a bad last round. It was a nightmare, to be honest with you. And the thing was, I’d played some good golf earlier in the week, especially on Friday. But having got myself into a position to challenge for a win, or at least a top-three finish, I shot 78 on Sunday and fell down to a tie for 31st place. Nothing went right and it was obviously very disappointing. It’s just one of those rounds I want to forget in a hurry. It was a real shame. This is a great event and Firestone’s South Course is a really strong golf course. It might not have the massive length of some other layouts we play these days, such as Medinah for instance, but it’s a par-70 and a tough test; no question. I like it a lot. And having played some good golf at last week’s International, I was coming in here with some confidence. I figured if I could just get the putter working properly I’d have a great chance. * * *

It obviously didn’t work out, though. On Sunday I never felt like I had my swing under control – it was quite strange, actually. And frustrating. I drove the ball poorly, which meant I struggled to control my distance going into Firestone’s greens which are pretty small by Tour standards. And man, I just couldn’t make a putt. Six bogeys, one double-bogey, and not a single birdie. The only good thing I can say is that days like that are once in a blue moon for me.Of course, shooting a score like 78 meant I went from tied-7th at the start of the day to tied-31st. So not only was it frustrating, it was also expensive.But anyway, moving on!

Full post on Ernie Els's blog.

Tiger: first Masters, first major

Bob Harig's retrospective is here. Don't miss watching the video!

Tiger: hello, world

ESPN.com is running a retrospective of Tiger's first 10 years on tour. Today, it begins with Tiger's entry into the professional golfing world with the now iconic words: Hello, world.

This retrospective is quite a treat and a must read, beginning with Ron Sirak, one of the best golf writers.

Unknown LPGA golf hotties, Part III: May Wood

The Golf Blog was on site at Wendy's this past week. It was striking to see just how few spectators follow the LPGA golfers who are not well known -- many groups had no spectators at all on Thursday and Friday. You probably haven't seen these LPGA golfers before, because they never get any media coverage -- not unless, of course, they get into contention, but most of them haven't yet. So the only way you can discover them is going to the tournament. During the week, we featured a few of the unknowns (Kim Hall, D'Rae Ward, Jenna Daniels, Natalie Tucker) who are golf hotties. See the links below. Wendy's (tied for) second-place finisher Stacy Prammanasudh is definitely a hottie, but she's already won one LPGA event and is not a true "unknown" in the golf world. Stacy's won 10 collegiate tourneys and was ranked second nationally her senior year; she also was the 2003 player of the year on the Futures Tour.

OK, so our crack staff of researchers had to dig deeper. After much searching, we discovered one more unknown LPGA hottie. She wasn't at Wendy's, but here she is:

May Wood: a rookie on tour, but is not exempt so plays on the Futures tour as well. No relation to Bob May or Tiger Woods, and, at 6'2", May Wood is taller than them both. Of course, just as with most of the other hotties, May Wood has her own website, with a glam girl photo spread. Hey, if you've got the looks, why not flaunt it?



Related posts
1. Unknown LPGA golf hotties: these girls rock
2. Unknown LPGA golf hotties, Part II: Kim Hall

Will Tiger ever lose again?

Tiger Woods just won No. 4 in a row, beating Stewart Cink in a playoff. Instead of wondering about his swing changes, most pundits now are wondering if he will ever lose again. I doubt it.

UPDATE: Golf Digest has a nice montage this month of all of Tiger's victories.

Wendy's: Lorena Ochoa wins

Like the new Wendy's vanilla frosties (which I'm snarfing down as I write), Lorena Ochoa is not all that flashy, but so silky smooth on the course. Her putting stroke is so natural, it's downright silly. And she smiles a lot on the course like she's having lots of fun. Who wouldn't when you shoot 65 on Sunday, after shooting 64 on Saturday?

Ochoa is very slight of build, and, when compared to (tied for) second place finisher Jee Young Lee, Lorena looks even more petite. Some might even mistake her for a junior golfer if they didn't know better. But Lorena can still bust her drives, although Lee sometimes outdrove Lorena by 20 yards or so. It was a pretty amazing sight at Tartan Fields this afternoon. The fan base following the final group of (Mexico's) Lorena Ochoa, (Korea's) Jee Young Lee, and (Japan's) Ai Miyazato was so international, probably more than half were minorities or foreign born. The fans were uttering encouragement to the players in three different languages!

At the press conference, Lorena said that she talked to her mother in Mexico last night because it was her birthday. Her mother said: "Make sure you win tomorrow for my birthday, and tell them I am 22." Maybe she should have said 24, because that's the number Lorena posted. It's the fourth best final tournament score in LPGA history. LPGA's photos of the tournament here.

Wendy's: Sunday sauna

Woke up this morning after a torrential downpour through the night. The sun has just started to peak though. And it's humid and sauna-like outside. Despite the sticky weather, the fans seem to be pouring into Tartan Fields to catch the action.

Natalie Gulbis has suddenly gotten hot, -6 for the day (rattling off 6 straight birdies) and -12 for the tourney. But she's almost done with her round. Too little, too late.

Lorena Ochoa, who is at -19 and 3 shots better than Jee Young Lee, seeks her third victory of the year.

Leaderboard.

Miyazato siblings make noise on PGA + LPGA tours

Yusaku Miyazato made PGA history yesterday by carding 2 holes-in-one in one round at the Reno-Tahoe Open (more here).

Meanwhile, sister Ai Miyazato is tied for third place at the Wendy's Championship, 4 strokes behind Lorena Ochoa. The Japanese press corps on site in Dublin, Ohio, will have a field day if Ai can pull out her first LPGA victory. Check out Ai's website here.

A Woman's Touch

Thanks to The Golf Blog for inviting me to provide a woman’s perspective on all things golf. I’m not sure how often I will be blogging, but I hope to have fun with it.

As a lady golfer, I have always been impressed with the LPGA golfers who come to the Wendy’s Championship for Children at Tartan Fields in Dublin, Ohio. Today was no different. I sat with my two daughters around the 18th green, and we saw a lot of birdies there. Lots of greens at Tartan are 2-tiered and the 18th is a dozy, which would drive me a little crazy. Lorena Ochoa shot an impressive 64 today. Her game is on, and I wonder if anybody can catch her. Ai Miyazato (who is tied for third with Stacy Prammansudh) birdied her last 3 holes trying to close that gap. I liked her strong finish. Earlier in the day, it looked like the Korean golfers were dominating the leader board, but now there is some variety up there.


Fashion Alert: Talking about the Koreans, I was noticing that they all wear long pants or capris, while the young Americans tend to wear the fashionable golf skirts. Maybe on this hot humid day, that affected the Koreans somehow. But the PGA men always play in pants. I like that the women have a more varied wardrobe on and off the golf course! Sorry guys! Paula Creamer stands out as one of the best dressed on the course!! Hope she catches up to Ochoa so we don’t have a total blow out tomorrow.

Wendy's Championship: Ochoa surging, Webb struggling

As TV coverage is about to start on ESPN2 at 2pm, Lauren Ochoa is trying to separate herself from an impressive field at the LPGA's Wendy's Championship. Here is the live leaderboard, which is retaining its international flavor. Ochoa is trying to take back the LPGA money list top spot from Karrie Webb, who got off to slow start today with a +1 front nine (though she's now made back-to-back birdies on the back nine).

Because Ai Miyazato and Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer and Brittany Lang are all doing well on this moving day, Sunday's final round should be extra exciting with a lot of the young guns in the hunt. Unless, of course, Ochoa pulls a Tiger and gives no one else a real shot.

Ryder Cup: mulligan for Lehman?

Hmmm. Let's see. Davis Love, -8, in second place behind Tiger. Lucas Glover, -5, tied for fifth. Both were passed over by Captain Tom Lehman for the Ryder Cup. Lehman picked Stewart Cink, who is doing well at -3, and Scott Verplank, who is doing not so well at +6. (Both Love and Glover were in fact higher on the Ryder Cup point standings than Verplank by at least 5 places.)

It's, of course, easy to start second-guessing, but here's my question: if the Ryder Cup is at the end of September, why do the captains need to make their selections so early in August? If I were the coach, I'd like to know how the players are playing right before the competition. I'd like to know, for example, if Scott Verplank shoots +6 or higher this week before selecting him.

Tiger getting all the breaks, again

After getting away with no penalty from hitting his ball completely off the golf course, over the clubhouse, and into the parking lot, Tiger Woods smiled and said:

"That was the creme de la creme. I don't know how that ball wasn't out of bounds, first of all. Let's just say I hit a nine-iron a little too far. It certainly was a lucky break, there's no doubt about that. The ball wasn't out of bounds. It might be out of bounds tomorrow."

Related post
Tiger on top, will he ever lose again?

Wendy's Championship: International leaderboard

The greens at Tartan Fields are pretty pure, and are apparently proving to be easy to read. The course has given up more birdies than Floyd Landis has given excuses for his positive drug test.

As co-leader Soo Yun Kang said after her round of 66, "I like the greens. I can read them. It's almost perfect. When I hit it straight, I can make every putt." Fellow South Korean Jee Young Lee shot a 65, to remain at a tie for the lead at -11. Jee Young is unique in switching between two different putting grips on the course based on what's working. Apparently, it's working.

The leaderboard is jammed packed at the top, with a distinctly international flavor. Just look at the leaders:

-11
Jee Young Lee - South Korea
Soo-Yun Kang - South Korea

-10
Mikaela Parmlid - Sweden
Marisa Baena - Columbia

-9
Brittany Lincicome - US
Lorena Ochoa - Mexico
Karrie Webb - Australia

-8
Joo Mi Kim - South Korea
Paula Creamer - US
Stacy Prammanasudh - US
Ai Miyazato - Japan

-7
Diana D'Alessio - US
Wendy Doolan - Australia
Birdie Kim - South Korea
Cristie Kerr - US
Natalie Gulbis - US
Kris Tschetter - US

ESPN2 will have Saturday coverage at 2 - 4 p.m. Split morning pairings are here.

Unknown LPGA golf hotties, Part II: Kim Hall

The Golf Blog's first 3 selections (see here) of unknown LPGA golf hotties -- D'Rae Ward, Jenna Daniels, and Natalie Tucker -- put up a collective 24-over par at the Wendy's Championship so far (an average of +8 for the trio). Now, that's not hot, especially when the leaders are at -11. Suffice it to say, you won't be seeing them this weekend. So here's one unknown hottie who still has a chance to make the cut-- she's right at the cut line with 3 holes left:

Kim Hall: tour rookie and Stanford grad, where she was MVP of the team for two years.



UPDATE: A bogey on the second to last hole, and the failure to birdie the par-5 finishing hole, put Kim over the cut line. That's not hot.

Tiger on top, will he ever lose again?

Three straight victories, including 2 majors, ain't bad. But Tiger's now positioning himself for his 4th win in a row. He's at -10, two strokes clear of Adam Scott, at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Leaderboard.

Will Tiger ever lose again?

UPDATE: Tiger just completely airmailed the clubhouse on the 9th hole, and the ball ended up in the parking lot. Someone apparently picked up the ball. But he got a free drop because it's not considered out of bounds. Where's Sergio Garcia to complain?

Wendy's: the scene on the driving range

The place to hang out is the driving range. This year, the LPGA has instituted a new system of posting small signs with the players' names at the area of the driving range where they practice. It looks kind of cool -- like the players' own little office.

Karrie Webb was the only one I saw with her swing coach. The others are on their own, and rely on their caddies. Lorena Ochoa was at the range for a while, but seemed to be joking around more than hitting balls. Natalie Gulbis was more serious in her baby blue outfit and was again the center of spectators' attention.

Wendy's Championship, 1st round leaderboard

-6
Katie Futcher
Kristal Parker-Manzo
Jee Young Lee
Stacy Prammanasudh

-5
Mikaela Parmlid
Soo-Yun Kang
Tina Barrett
Brittany Lincicome
Natalie Gulbis
Lorena Ochoa
Karrie Webb
Kris Tschetter

Live leaderboard

Tiger: PGA needs drug testing of players

With all the steroids scandals rocking major league baseball, track and field, and the Tour de France, you knew golf would soon be thrown into the fray. Tiger Woods believes the PGA should be proactive and start drug testing players. More from SI here.

The Golf Blog discussed this controversy last year. Now that Tiger has spoken, it will be very interesting to see what happens.

UPDATE: PGA Commish Tim Finchem's response to Tiger: NO.

The Tiger report

Winning three-in-a-row is a great feeling, especially when two are major championships....One thing I want to say about Hank and I, is that the proof is in the pudding. What I mean by that is we both have worked very hard to refine my swing, but the bottom line is you have to produce. I'm finally producing. You have to take baby steps. You have to do it at home on the range, at tournaments, and then on the back nine Sunday in a major championship. We've taken all those steps together.

After I did my press conference Sunday night, my wife and I flew to Houston to pick up a new Labradoodle puppy, then flew home to Florida. His name is Yogi, and he'll be good company for Taz, our Border Collie. They'll definitely keep us on our toes.

Hopefully, I can keep it going this week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, a course I love and have had great success on. After the tournament, Tom Lehman has arranged for the U.S. Ryder Cup team to fly to the K Club in Dublin to spend two days practicing for the match against Europe next month. As far as I know, the whole team is going, so it should be a good chance for everyone to bond and get familiar with the course. I've played it about 20 times and think guys should be pretty comfortable. It's a parkland course with rolling hills and lots of trees.

I thought Tom Lehman did a good job with his captain's picks in adding Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank to the team. Both have experience and are good putters, and I thought that's where we needed to go. Some argued he should have chosen younger players to give them more seasoning for the future, but there's no guarantee those guys will make it back again. Hopefully, we'll all pull together and play well as a team.

Unknown LPGA golf hotties: these girls rock

In a recent Sports Illustrated survey, teenagers voted Natalie Gulbis as the best-looking golfer on the LPGA tour by a whopping 75% margin (second place was Paula Creamer with only 11%). I can't argue with these numbers. But, today, on the course at the Wendy's Championship, I spotted a number of (relatively) unknown golfers who could make a run with Natalie, at least in the looks department. You probably have never heard of them, but they are noticeable on the course. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. D'Rae Ward (duh Ray): a rookie this year, tied for 47th at Q School. D'Rae even has her own website, with a glam photo spread. Talk about self-promotion, but, hey, if you're good-looking, who cares?



2. Jenna Daniels: in her sixth year on tour. Jenna, too, has her own website, with a glam photo spread. Ditto the above comment.



3. Natalie Tucker: rookie last season. Natalie doesn't have her own website -- yet!



Stay tuned for more from our roving reporters.

Wendy's: low scores start off first round

Stacy Prammanasudh shot a 6-under 66 in the morning group, to grab the early lead. A number of the big name young guns, including Natalie Gulbis, Brittany Lincicome, Lorena Ochoa, are tied at -5. Leaderboard here.

There still are many more golfers on the course, some who just teed off. One thing I noticed: there are so many female pro golfers who you will never see unless you go to a tournament in person. (But you should, because some are real cuties. Back to that later.) Just take a look at all the names on the leaderboard and see how many you've never heard before. If you recognize more than 25%, you should pat yourself on the back!

So apparently the groundscrew overcompensated for the lack of rain by over-watering the 1st, 3rd, and 9th holes. That led to the bizarre scenario in which only those holes were played under lift, clean, and place.

Wendy's: mulligan's morning shots

Play has begun on a beautiful day in Dublin, Ohio. As you'll see on the LPGA's leaderboard, at the noon hour, glam girl Natalie Gulbis is tied for second at -4 behind Kris Tschetter, who is leading at -5. We'll have a full report after the round. Here are some random thoughts:

1. Ever heard of plastic? Each group gets a young girl or two to carry around the sign indicating the scores of the players in the group. The girls can't be more than 12 or 13 years of age, but they have to lug around a heavy metal sign. With all the high tech in golf, how can we let these young girls labor around the course with metal signs that must weigh ten pounds?

2. Ai Miyazato = Tiger Woods of Japan? LPGA rookie Ai Miyazato commands a huge following from the Japanese press. It's quite amazing. No other golfer has that many media following her. She must be as big as Tiger Woods in Japan. The reporters in the media tent must be one third, if not more, from Japan.

3. Natalie, the most popular: The last time Natalie Gulbis was in Ohio, she almost won her first LPGA tournament (losing in a playoff at the Jamie Farr). It was amazing to see today that, of all the groups on the course, Natalie's appeared to have the largest following -- even more than Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr's power group.

LPGA: Wendy's is more than Frosties

The Wendy's Championship for Children starts today. Although Annika Sorenstam is not returning this year, most of the other big names are. Cristie Kerr attempts to defend, and she'll be paired in a group with Paula Creamer teeing off at 8:32 am. We'll be on the course, hopefully following some of the marquee group. Another big name group consists of Karrie Webb and Lorena Ochoa, who tee off at 9:16 with Julieta Granada, in what appears to be the best international group. TV Coverage from ESPN2 starts tomorrow.

Pairings are here.

US Amateur Update: Horschel medalist with 11-under 60 in first round

In case you missed it, because I certainly did. Billy Horschel set a USGA scoring record on Monday at the US Amateur. (Usamateur.org's coverage here.)

Horschel, a sophomore at the University of Florida, posted an 11-under par 60, breaking Loren Roberts' and Christina Kim's USGA scoring record by 2 shots.

Something quite impressive, especially after he was medalist after firing a 6-over par 78 on the more difficult course, Hazeltine National Golf Club. (Coverage here).

Matchplay starts today. And, I do have to give props to my hometown boy John Hahn, Jr., a recent Hudson (Ohio) High School grad and a to-be freshman at Kent State for qualifying for matchplay.

Gearing up for the LPGA Wendy's Championship

This week, the LPGA is at work near the locus of The Golf Blog: the Wendy's Championship for Children takes place at Tartan Fields Golf Club in central Ohio. Because Tiger is threatening to make the men's game boring again (though, of course, it is even more boring without him), expect The Golf Blog to give lots of attention to the women over the next few days.

To gear up, I have assembled a few highlights of our coverage of last year's exciting event:

• What a great finish at Wendy's: Kerr tops Sorenstam, Creamer
• Parting shot: Wendy's Championship, great tourney, great cause
• A bright LPGA future (with the right promotion)

Also, a lot of round-by-round coverage from last year can be found in this archive.

Is Tiger the greatest athlete ever?

One ESPN writer thinks so:

"Woods has escaped golf's gravitational pull and moved into a planetary system that includes your one-namers (Pele, Babe, Jack), your initialers (MJ), your nicknamers (The Great One, The Greatest), your oldies (Jim Thorpe, Willie Mays, Joe Louis), your Olympians (Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis), your netters (Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras), your others (Lance Armstrong). I know I'm forgetting someone, but it doesn't matter. Woods is better."

17-8-3

Record of Jack Nicklaus in the Ryder Cup.

The Big Easy report

Sadly, the week started on a tragic note. The previous weekend Darren Clarke’s wife Heather had passed away after a brave battle against cancer. She was a lovely person and we’re all really feeling for Darren and the two children right now.

Then on Wednesday we received the terrible news that [my wife] Liezl’s father [Piet Wehneyer] had died in Cape Town after a short illness, which was very upsetting for all of us. Liezl flew straight home to South Africa to be with her family; obviously I stayed behind and tried as best I could to turn my attentions to golf. It’s not easy. I mean, as anyone who has suffered such a loss knows, it can be hard to focus on whatever job it is that you have to do. But life goes on, as they say.

Entering Tiger's lair: doom

There is no doubt that playing in the final group with Tiger in a major has a negative effect on his competitors. As ESPN reports, everyone except Chris DiMarco and journeyman Bob May has hit worse than Tiger, usually by 3 strokes or so.

Frankly, knowing this information, Tiger's competitors should now attempt to NOT play in Tiger's group -- even if it means purposely bogeying the last hole in Round 3, just to get into the next to last group.

MASTERS
2005 Woods 71, DiMarco 68*
2002 Woods 66, Goosen 69
2001 Woods 68, Mickelson 70
1997 Woods 69, Rocca 75

U.S. OPEN
2002 Woods 72, Garcia 74
2000 Woods 67, Els 72

BRITISH OPEN
2006 Woods 67, Garcia 73
2005 Woods 70, Olazabal 74
2000 Woods 69, Duval 75

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
2006 Woods 68, Donald 74
2000 Woods 67, May 66*
1999 Woods 72, Weir 80

* -- Woods won in playoff

Lehman Picks Verplank and Cink

Somewhat of a surprise to me, Lehman announced this morning that he has selected Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink to play on the 2006 Ryder Cup Team. ESPN.com's coverage here.

Ryder Cup 2006: Glad I'm Not Captain Lehman

So here are your top 10 in Ryder Cup standings after the PGA.

Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Jim Furyk
Chad Campbell
David Toms
Chris DiMarco
Vaughn Taylor
J.J. Henry
Zach Johnson
Brett Wetterich

Cink shot 69 today playing with Corey Pavin and according to all of those at CBS, Cink will be a captain's pick. So who do you go with if you were Captain Tom? DL III had a couple good rounds, but struggled the last 2 days. Lumpy did not finish worth a lick. Glover struggled plus he would be another rookie. Anyways, I'm glad that I'm not Tom.

But, having to take a stand and changing my thoughts, I would now pick Cink and DL III.

2006: how one "idiot" shot changed the entire season

Now that the majors are over, let's recap what could have been. We could have been looking at the following tie in majors: Phil Mickelson, 2 majors v. Tiger Woods, 2 majors. Both probably win Player of the Year.

But because of the lunacy of Phil Mickelson on the final hole at the U.S. Open, we are left with Tiger Woods asserting his dominance again (and Phil reverting back to the sloppy Phil of old). The Big Five, which became the Big Two, is now back to the Big One. Only Jack Nicklaus is Tiger Woods' competitor now.

Tiger is great, but...

I am sooooooo tired of seeing his playing partners melt during the final round of a major. Sergio shot an ugly 73 at The Open last month and was out of it after about 5 holes. Luke Donald is limping along today at +2 today. And CBS just put up the stat that Tiger's 11 playing partners in final major pairings have averaged rounds of 72.82.

I have heard some claim that Tiger's accomplishments are superior to Jack's because Tiger is playing against better and deeper fields. But I don't think Jack's rivals so consistently turned to jelly on Sundays at the majors.

Is the PGA Championship a major joke?

I have praised the R&A for not trying to "trick up" the British Open courses, but just letting nature take care of the conditions. This weekend, I have tried my best to defend Medinah C.C. from the intense criticism it has elicited as being just "too easy." ESPN has basically "mocked" the easiness of Medinah in a parody article. I've talked to a number of people, and they all say the same thing: the tournament this year is not really a major, it's more like the John Deere Classic -- won this year by John Senden with a final total of 18-under par. That appears to be the same final score where the PGA Championship winner is heading. Even Tiger Woods said that the low scores and conditions on the golf course at Medinah made it feel like not a major.

I've done my best to defend the PGA. Even though Medinah was trumped up to be the longest course in major history, the rains softened the greens so much that the players were having a field day yesterday. Blame it on the rain, I said. But, today, I've given up defending the PGA. The rough is playing way too easy, the pin placements too receptive, and the course is giving up more birdies than a mother hen in heat. I'm done defending the PGA.

Can Morgan Pressel win her first pro tourney?

We've given Morgan Pressel her share of criticism for a lackluster rookie year, but that can all be erased with a victory today in Oregon if she can win the Safeway Classic. She's currently tied for the lead at -7 with three other golfers.

If Morgan wins, that's one nod in her favor as being ahead of Michelle Wie.

Leaderboard.

PGA and the Ryder Cup... Final Round Possibilities

As noted in this post, the team for the US Ryder Cup team will be set after the PGA Championship.

The standings after the International and 3rd Round Position: (Top 10 automatically qualify):

1. Tiger Woods - 4,150 (T-1 at -14)
2. Phil Mickelson - 2,474.375 (T-8 at -8)
3. Jim Furyk - 2,076 (T-21 at -5)
4. Chad Campbell - 1,129.602 (T-57 at +2)
5. David Toms - 1,072.250 (T-12 at -7)
6. Chris DiMarco - 830 (T-8 at -8)
7. Vaughn Taylor - 780.833 (Cut)
8. J.J. Henry - 778.750 (T-34 at -2)
9. Zach Johnson - 756.477 (Cut)
10. Brett Wetterich - 746 (Cut)

11. John Rollins - 685 (Cut)
12. Stewart Cink - 676.894 (T-40 at -1)
13. Jerry Kelly - 653.750 (T-57 at +2)
14. Lucas Glover - 641.376 (T52 at +1)
15. Davis Love, III - 631.875 (T-18 at -6)
16. Fred Couples - 627.727 (Cut)
17. Tim Herron - 621.667 (T-8 at -8)
18. Tom Pernice - 615 (Cut)
19. Tom Lehman - 612.917 (Cut)
20. Scott Verplank - 595.667 (Cut)
21. Arron Oberholser - 557.500 (Cut)
22. Dean Wilson - 543.250 (T-57 at +2)
23. Brett Quigley - 535.000 (Cut)
24. Billy Mayfair - 489.166 (T-22 at -5)
25. Jeff Sluman - 471.250 (Cut)

The PGA provides double points as follows:

First - 675
Second - 360
Third - 320
Fourth - 280
Fifth - 240
Sixth - 200
Seventh - 160
Eighth - 120
Ninth - 80
Tenth - 40

So the players with the best chance of MAKING the team would be DLIII and Lumpy (Tim Herron). Doing some quick math, DL III will approximately need to finish 8th alone or better and Lumpy will need a 7th along or better finish.

Should make tomorrow a bit more interesting. Hopefully CBS won't produce another TIGER show on the chance that he laps the field, and include some of Ryder Cup talk!

Big question heading into the weekend at the PGA

There are lots of good stories developing at the PGA Championship, as everyone on this leaderboard could be an interesting champion. Here are just a few questions racing in my mind as the players head into the final two rounds at Medinah:

1. If Tiger keeps up his strong play, will he soon separate himself from the field as he did last month at The Open?

2. Can Davis Love and Tim Herron keep up their strong play and secure automatic spots on the Ryder Cup team?

3. Might the PGA yet again be the setting for someone to claim his first major?

4. If Geoff Ogilvy prevails, does he become the obvious selection for golfer of the year?

5. Can anyone back in the pack go really low on Saturday to jump into contention?

Why a golf course is good for a community

In the other part of my blog life I cam across this interesting post about the economic impact of golf. Here are some highlights:

[T]here have been studies regarding the impact golf has on particular economies. Certainly golf tournaments, like other major sports events, have a tremendous impact on a country’s economy. Depending on the nature of the tournament, the amount of money that players, spectators, media and organizers spend during a tournament could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, even outside of tournaments, golf courses attract significant resources both in terms of money spent in connection with the course itself and in terms of money spent at the local businesses surrounding the course. Studies suggest that the money associated with golf courses could also represent hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The studies also indicate that golf courses may generate thousands of jobs for the local communities.

Fan interference?

A spectator on the first hole helped Tiger Woods by swatting at his errant tee shot to keep it from going further left. The ball ricocheted back towards the fairway, staying in the rough. Tiger ended up saving par, when it might have been worse.

Should there be a rule to address this situation, or should a player be allowed to benefit from fan interference?

Has Tiger had the greatest impact on golf, ever?

USAToday has a fascinating article imagining golf without Tiger. Here are some amazing stats compiled by Jim Halley of USAToday:

Purses: There were nine PGA Tour millionaires in 1996. Last year, there were 78. From 1986-'96, the total purse on the PGA Tour increased $37.5 million. In the Woods' decade, the 10 years since, the purses have jumped $186.1 million.

Ratings: Sean McManus, President of CBS News and Sports, says Woods has had a direct effect on the growth of golf on TV, with ratings spiking 35% to 50% for regular tour events and major championships when Woods is in contention. Last weekend The International, minus Woods, drew a 2.1 rating. A few weeks earlier, the Buick Open, which Woods won, drew a 4.3 rating.

Marketing: * * * According to a 2004 study at Indiana University, before Woods' professional golf debut in '96, a typical annual increase in new golfers was 1%. The ''Tiger Woods Effect'' lifted it to 5%. The percentage of African-American golfers has doubled since '96, the study said.

Read the article for more.

PGA Championship: the money line of the day

It was at Medinah in 1999 that then-19-year-old Sergio Garcia went hopping and skipping and running down the 16th fairway after an improbable shot hit with eyes closed from behind a tree onto the green. In the bat of an eye, it seemed as if Woods, then 23, had become an old man and El Nino was the face of tomorrow. But seven years later, Woods is a Tiger and Sergio has achieved more as a beer salesman than he has on the golf course.

-Ron Sirak of Golf World, more here

The return of Sergio's scissor kick?

AP's Doug Ferguson has an excellent article recounting the emergence of Sergio Garcia at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah, where the tournament returns this week. That's where we first got to see the 19 year old Sergio and to witness his scissor kick on the 16th hole after he hit an amazing shot from the trees with his eyes closed. Sergio's scissor kick was the Most Memorable Non-golf Shot in the past decade. But, unfortunately, El Nino hasn't used it since. Nor has he won a major.
AP Photo

Ryder Cup 2006: Who does Lehman pick??

I had an entire post written on Sunday afternoon, hoping that Lehman would win the International and jump into the top 10 (#7) of the US Ryder Cup standings almost guaranteeing him the opportunity to play at the K Club in September. Nevertheless, "Superman" Dean Wilson beat him on the 2nd playoff hole and my post was a waste.

However, after talking to Young Tom Morris last night, I decided that Lehman's decisions still merited discussion on The Golf Blog.

The standings after the International (Top 10 automatically qualify):
1. Tiger Woods - 4,150
2. Phil Mickelson - 2,474.375
3. Jim Furyk - 2,076
4. Chad Campbell - 1,129.602
5. David Toms - 1,072.250
6. Chris DiMarco - 830
7. Vaughn Taylor - 780.833
8. J.J. Henry - 778.750
9. Zach Johnson - 756.477
10. Brett Wetterich - 746

11. John Rollins - 685
12. Stewart Cink - 676.894
13. Jerry Kelly - 653.750
14. Lucas Glover - 641.376
15. Davis Love, III - 631.875
16. Fred Couples - 627.727
17. Tim Herron - 621.667
18. Tom Pernice - 615
19. Tom Lehman - 612.917
20. Scott Verplank - 595.667

As many of us know, the US Team, as it stands now, will be full of rookies. However, with Lehman, Corey Pavin, and Loren Roberts as the "coaching" staff for the US Team, does it matter that the US Team has the rookies? Or does Lehman need to pick up a few "veterans" to help the squad? Or should Lehman pick himself or another of his captains to play?

I know it is a bit early to speculate on who Lehman should pick, but if I were him, and this was the way the results ended. I would have to go with Couples and Glover. Couples is the man in Ryder Cup play and he would make sure that he was ready to play when his name is called. And, Glover just simply wants it and will be playing in many Ryder Cups to come.

What do you think? Who would you pick as the 2 "wild card" selections?

Rosaforte: PGA Championship is best major

I could not pass up this opportunity to agree with Tim Rosaforte, who explains here why the PGA Championship is emerging as perhaps the best major of the lot. One reason:

It has the best trophy
The U.S. Open trophy doesn't have a name, the claret jug looks like something that wouldn't sell at a flea market and nobody knows what the Masters trophy looks like. (It's a sterling-silver replica of the antebellum clubhouse.) The Wanamaker trophy however, announces its presence. It is by far the biggest of the major-championship trophies, standing tall (28 inches), wide (10½-inch diameter) and heavy (27 pounds).

The Wanamaker also has history: There's no telling how much beer John Daly drank out of it. Rich Beem put his son, Michael, in it. And Walter Hagen lost it in a taxi sometime between winning the PGA in 1927 and 1930, when Tommy Armour beat Gene Sarazen for the crown.

The Big Easy report

This week we face the longest golf course ever in a major championship – a record that seems to have been broken quite a lot in recent years, but that’s the way the game’s been going, I guess. Anyway, the number three course at Medinah has been stretched to 7,561 yards and plays as a tough par-72. When we were last here, for the 1999 US PGA Championship, I didn’t have a great week. But that doesn’t have any effect on how I feel about this week’s tournament. I know this golf course. I know what you need to do. And, as I’ve said in my recent reports, my game has come along nicely in the last month or so.

I see this morning that I’ve got a really nice draw for the first two rounds; playing with Sergio Garcia and Freddie Couples. They’re both good friends of mine and I always enjoy playing with both of them. Like I say, it’s a nice draw for me. I’m really looking forward to getting on that 1st tee.

More from Ernie Els' blog.

Is Dean Wilson superman?

Hats off to 36 year old Dean Wilson for winning his first PGA event, The International in Colorado. Prior to winning, Dean's claim to fame was playing with Annika Sorenstam in the Colonial several years back (coincidentally, Annika won this weekend, too, in Sweden).

But the burning question: is Dean Wilson and Dean Cain (of Superman fame) the same person, or do they just share the same name?

Kimberly Kim, 14, youngest to win U.S. Women's Amateur

Her parents must've been thinking of this moment when they named their daughter Kimberly, with the last name Kim. Kimberly Kim is an easy name to remember, and remember it you will.

Kimberly, 14 years old and from Hawaii, just became the youngest player to win the U.S. Women's Amateur. She needed to sink a 5-footer on the final hole to defeat 26 year old Katharina Schallenberg of Germany. "I was shaking so much," Kim said. "I don't even know where I aimed or anything. I just, like, hit it. It was like, `Whatever, just hit the ball."'

Kids, today. They know how to play.

Photo here.

TGB Goes Clubbing: Alpha C830.2 Plasma Driver

Sometimes TheGolfBlog.com gets asked to review equipment from companies that many of our loyal readers have probably never heard of. Well, I am fairly confident that very few people have ever heard of Alpha Golf, a product line of Kent Sports, Inc. However, once I had the opportunity to try their C830.2 Plasma Driver, I realized that I had something very special.

While writing this review, I did some research on Alpha Golf's C830.2 Plasma Driver. I wasn't surprised to find out that the Alpha C830.2 won every single 2006 Major Long Drive Championship (see press release
here).

This driver is simply AMAZING!

When contacted by Alpha, I was able to create a custom driver to meet my exact specs. Accordingly, I asked for a 8.5 degree with a Aldila NV X-65 shaft. As a quick aside, for those of you who have not had the opportunity to try the Aldila NV shaft, it is my favorite on the market and I know a countless number of people who use it.



When the Alpha C830.2 Plasma came via UPS, I was playing the following day and I had tournaments already scheduled the next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So I decided that I would take it and hit it a couple of times the next day and not actually review the club until this past weekend. However, after I hit the Alpha 830.2 Plasma the first time, I never went back to my Titleist 983.

Yes, you read that correctly, after I hit the Alpha C830.2 Plasma once, I took out my Titleist driver, with basically the same specs, which I have had for two years, and have played ever since with the Alpha C830.2 Plasma.

Why?

First, I carry the ball about 20 yards further than I did with my Titleist.

Second, the club provides what I found to be one of the hottest ball flights that I have ever hit.

Third, the club set up to the ball extremely well. In fact, one of my playing partners in a tournament I played in on Saturday commented on how good it set up to the ball.

And, Fourth, even my misses went farther than my Titleist.

Anyways, I could get into the specs of this club, but I would rather just provide a link to Alpha Golf's website for those interested, and conclude with one last comment.

Never in my life have I switched golf clubs so fast. People, who have played golf with me, know that I am very selective when it comes to golf equipment that I play. However, the Alpha C830.2 Plasma driver took only one swing to be placed in my bag. It is, by far, the best driver that I have hit and I am sure that it will be in my bag for a very long time.

Bottom Line: If you are in the market for a driver, look no further than Alpha Golf's C830.2 Plasma driver. An absolutely AMAZING driver and THE BEST driver I have ever hit!

Darren Clarke's Wife Dies of Cancer...

Darren Clarke's wife, Heather, died of cancer today. (Associated Press Story via ESPN.com here). Clarke, who has not played in a tournament since the Open Championships, will continue his break from professional golf until "he feels ready" according to a statement he made. Clarke's wife was 39.

As a side story, Paul McGinley, a close friend of Clarke and Clarke's family, has withdrawn from this coming weeks PGA Championship to be at Heather Clarke's funeral. Why is this important and extremely special? McGinley is currently 10th on the European Ryder Cup standings and will only have 2 tournaments after the PGA to ensure his spot on the team, or hope that Woosnam picks him as a wild card. According to a Reuters article posted on ESPN.com (link here), McGinley stated, "Some things are more important than the Ryder Cup. It was not really a big decision, it was a decision made quite easily, to be honest. Our families are very much intertwined."

Certainly, Paul, you should be commended on staying with your friend in such a time of need.

PGA Championship Pairings... Will you take a 1/2 day off work Friday to watch THE pairing??

As noted here, on the PGA.com website for the 2006 PGA Championship, THE pairing will be Phil, Tiger, and Geoff Ogilvy. The rest of the tee-times can be found here in .pdf format.

Phil, Tiger, and Geoff will be starting on #10 at 8:30 am on Thursday and will be starting on #1 at 1:35 pm on Friday.

Granted, it will be nice to have the three major championship winners playing together. However, I am not all that excited about this foresome.

First, it is the first two rounds. And, the goal during those rounds is typically to set yourself up for Saturday's "Moving day" and Sunday's final round. Therefore, I doubt that Tiger and others do anything extremely special, except make a bunch of pars and an occasional birdie.

Second, playing with Tiger might make Phil change his game. Part of Phil's "charm" is his ability to hit the miracle shot or to hit the "crazy", "outlandish" shot that no one else would ever imagine (think 18th hole of this year's US Open), but with Phil playing with Tiger, will Phil be afraid to hit the miracle shot for fear of being more deeply critized when Tiger plays the more "intelligent" game like he did at this year's Open Championship?

Third, part of the fun of watching the majors is that many times the "big name" players play at opposite times. Therefore, allowing the viewing audience to view say Tiger and Ernie one afternoon live and then Phil and Vijay live the next afternoon. This year, with Tiger and Phil together, their afternoon counterparts would be Vijay, Daly, and Jeff Sluman, who tee off at 1:35pm off to ten and then, on friday start at 8:30 off of 1?? However, maybe the "big name" group playing Thursday afternoon is Sergio, Couples, and Els. (1:15pm #1 Th; 8:10am #10 Fri). Either way, if your big TV viewers are Phil's Phanatics and Tiger's Wannabees, wouldn't it be better to have them playing in different waves to ensure more TV viewers?

Anyways, back to the point of this post. Granted, it will be fun to watch Tiger strategically play Medinah and Phil hit it all around Medinah, and quickly compare and contrast why either method is better. But, I will not be taking a 1/2 day from work to make sure that I will be able to watch all 18 holes of their 2nd round.

Take a mulligan: why I would caddy for Michelle Wie

Call me crazy, but I would volunteer to caddy for Michelle Wie. The young woman's been through more caddies in her short career than I've been through tires on my ten year old car -- Greg Johnston, Brian Smallwood, Fanny Sunneson, her former swing coach Gary Gilchrist, and several times, her father B.J. Wie. Apparently, job security is safer working with Enron right now than as Wie's caddy. Not even dad is safe!

But, hey, I'd be the first in line to apply for the caddy position with Michelle Wie. My stride is a perfect yard long, to the one sixteenth of an inch. I know how to read greens, but apparently that's not in the job description. I also can rake bunkers, clean clubs, and, basically, do what I'm told. I also have a calming influence on people, or so I've been told, and know how to tell the early signs of heat exhaustion.

The biggest thing I'd try to do as Michelle's caddy would be to lighten things up a little around Michelle. After all, she's still 16 years old and in high school. I'd compare my iPod list with hers, and introduce her to the latest music from Rick Ross and Gnarls Barkley. Hopefully, the Wie camp wouldn't "think I'm crazy," to quote Gnarls Barkley.

I'd probably last one tournament, but I'm pretty sure I'd be able to loosen things up during those pressure situations when Michelle needs to sink a putt. If anything, Michelle would have fun.

How do you deal with playing poorly?? Wie Fires Caddie

As noted throughout the sports world, ESPN.com, The Golf Channel.com, Michelle Wie has fired her caddie, Greg Johnston, after her T-26 performance at the Women's British Open.

However, Wie did not inform Johnston of his termination, she supposedly let her agent call Johnston on his cell phone before he left to return to the United States.

There is something that is great about the game of golf.... My father always referred to the game as a game of "Gentlemen." Now, I'm not sure the word for a "Gentleman" who is female, but anyone included in "Wie"'s camp would fail to fall within that description.

Wie's public relations firm stated that Johnston's departure "comes as part of Michelle's maturation as a golfer, part of which is learning from many different bright golf minds." However, I would challenge that Michelle's maturation as a golfer INCLUDES maturing as an ADULT and taking matters such as splitting with your caddie into your own hands is part of that process.

Honestly, I don't know what is worse, Wie consistently missing short putts to lose tournaments or Wie missing this "short putt" of class and informing her caddie that his services were no longer needed!!!

Michelle... You are a rolemodel to the youth of America, especially young boys and girls. When you fail to do the right thing, what kind of message are you sending to these "children"? I just hope when you decide to fire your next caddie, you at least have enough class to tell him or her that his or her services are no longer needed!

What's best for Michelle Wie?

Now that mulligan appears to be on break, thought I should submit a post. Thumbing through a recent Sports Illustrated, I found some interesting commentary on what Michelle Wie should do. I totally, 100 percent, for sure, agree with these experts!

Nancy Lopez says: "If I had a 16 year old who could play the way Michelle does, I would never encourage her to play the men's tour. When I was a girl I wanted to win, and I think it's impossible for Michelle to win on the men's tour. Plus, most PGA Tour players probably don't want her on their tour. They won't say that, but I'm speaking for them. We need Michelle to bring people in the gates. The LPGA has great young players with personality, and Michelle is one of them. Michelle is a woman and should support the women's tour."

Dottie Pepper says: "Her remaining summer and fall schedule has her making two trips to Europe, for events on the LPGA and European men's tour; another PGA Tour start; endorsement appearances in New York City; and then a final LPGA start in Palm Desert, California. In between she'll squeeze in a few trips home to Hawaii for school. Enough already! Her PGA Tour appearances have started to become a sideshow. Michelle and her advisers decided that she'd turn pro last fall; that can't be changed. But she could limit her play to the seven LPGA events permitted under the current rules, enabling her to learn the flavor and art of winning and, above all, to enjoy being a kid. Her bank account may be full, but the robbers are stealing her childhood. It only comes once."

If an apple falls on a Tiger while in a Buick

Mulligan is mulli-gone from his computer this week, and he has asked me to post these questions for him:

What would have happened if the flying apple thrown by some specatator had hit Tiger's putt on 17 while it was moving and prevented it from going toward the hole? Would Tiger have been allowed to putt over? If not, what would have been the correct ruling?

I don't know the answers.

So much for the young guns on the LPGA

After Paula Creamer's amazing rookie season last year, not to mention Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel turning pro and Natalie Gulbis ready for a breakout year, I was sure that the LPGA storyline this season would be about the next generation becoming the now generation. But another women's major was completed this morning with another member of the "old guard" claiming the title (details here). And this time around, none of the youngsters were even in the hunt.

We have had big debates about Wie and Creamer and Pressel and Gulbis on this blog, but I think the big story is not really how each one is doing but rather how little they have impacted ladies golf this year. And I cannot help but wonder if this year is just a small down turn before this group moves on to dominate the LPGA for years to come, or if instead we are all caught up in a bit too much hype.

Thoughts?

Tiger fastest to fifty wins

Tiger won the Buick Open by 3 shots over Jim Furyk. Tiger's round was marred only by a flying apple that came about ten feet from hitting Tiger's putt on the 17th hole. Tiger was so in the zone that he did not even react to the sight of a green apple rolling across the green. Besides, on Sunday, Tiger goes after red meat, not fruit.

Tiger's now reached his 50th victory the fastest of anyone ever on the PGA. What can't this guy do?

So you think you can dress?

Tiger's leading the Buick Open by 2 strokes. But the burning question is not whether Tiger will win. It's whether you like the new color Tiger was flashing yesterday. What color is that? Pretty sporty.

Steinhauer, Ochoa, Gulbis + Kerr make Saturday charge

The women are out at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in England for the British Open. Today, 43-year-old Sherri Steinhauer of Madison, Wisconsin, posted a 6-under 66 to go to 7-under for the tourney -- a full three strokes ahead of the field. Although Sherri is less well known, she's won the British Open twice already, in 1999 and 1998, back when the tournament was not a major.

Lorena Ochoa posted a 7-under 65, to pull into a tie for second at -4, while Natalie Gulbis and her pal Cristie Kerr shot 67 and 66, respectively, to pull into a tie for third at -3.

-7
Sherri Steinhauer

-4
Lorena Ochoa
Julie Inkster
Karen Stupples

-3
Natalie Gulbis
Cristie Kerr
Candie Kung

Notables
Paula Creamer, Annika Sorenstam - Even
Michelle Wie +4
Morgan Pressel +6

Tiger's back on tour

The Buick Open started today in Michigan, although play was shortened by rain. Mike Weir shot a 9-under, 63. Defending champ Vijay Singh followed with an 8-under, 64. Fresh off his emotional British Open victory, Tiger Woods shot a 6-under, 66, using only his putter (just kidding!).

-9
Mike Weir

-8
Vijay Singh

-7
Woody Austin
Joe Durant
Brett Quigley

-6
Tiger Woods
Aaron Olberhauser

-5
Lucas Glover
Vaughn Taylor
Robert Allenby

Full leaderboard

Ron Sirak on why Wie is the real deal

Wie's tie for second with Laura Davies on Saturday at the Evian was her ninth consecutive top-five finish in an LPGA event, including her fourth-place finish at the Samsung World Championship last October after which she was disqualified for taking a bad drop. Even more remarkably, she has finished T-3, T-5 and T-3 in the first three LPGA majors of the year, and in her career has played in 11 majors, with six finishes in the top five. The closest she has come to winning was at the Kraft Nabisco Championship this year where she failed to get up-and-down from about 25 feet to get into a playoff with Webb and Lorena Ochoa.

Still, the numbers are indisputable. Wie's combined finishes in the three majors this year add up to 11 (T-3 at the Kraft Nabisco, T-5 at the McDonald's LPGA Championship and T-3 at the U.S. Women's Open). The next best is Annika Sorenstam at 16 (6-9-1). Ochoa has a cumulated number of 31 (2-9-20), while Webb is at 40 (1-2-37), Juli Inkster is at 45 (5-34-6), and Se Ri Pak is at 49 (45-1-3). Also of note is the fact that Wie has yet to miss a cut in 11 majors -- astonishing when you consider she played her first two when she was 13 years old. Only twice has she finished outside of the top 15.

More here from Golf World's Ron Sirak.

Annika: received "smart a--" message from Tiger

Annika and Tiger have a friendly little rivalry over winning majors. Tiger's now ahead, 11-10. They both text message each other as soon as they win another major.

Well, take a listen here to Annika when asked about Tiger's last text message after he won the British Open. Am I wrong, or did she just say it was a "smart ass" comment from Tiger?

When I saw Tiger being interviewed, he said he text messaged: "11." Maybe it included something more.

Brittany Lincicome: she's all in

The blonde bomber Brittany Lincicome, winner of the Match Play Championship, wants to retire by age 35, so she can play poker. More from USAToday.

Take a mulligan: stop calling your kid "the next Tiger Woods"

Someone needs to put a stop to this. It's cute at home, but absolutely ridiculous for the media to report this is as national news. There is a two year old "golfer" who Diane Sawyer put on Good Morning America yesterday morning (also available here) -- yes, on national TV along with fighting in the Middle East -- claiming that the two year old "was poised to be the next Tiger Woods." The story was picked up after a local Denver news station ran this story on the boy (check out the video).

It's a cute little segment, but, you know what?--you can find dozens and dozens of parents claiming their kid is the next Tiger Woods. Just check out the home videos on YouTube.com. I might approve if the parents were really only joking and were not serious about trying to make their kid the next Tiger Woods. But I fear some of these parents have more ambition, deep down, than they would admit.

Anyway, someone should tell them--and ABC's Diane Sawyer--that the "next Tiger Woods" will be a woman, not a man.