The news came in the middle of the night in most of America, news that’s fast becoming as predictable as snow in Michigan in January for all but the Wie Warriors. Marketing monster Michelle Wie folded again when faced with a little pressure, bogeyed the last two holes in her second round to miss the cut at the Casio World Open. At some point, you have to start feeling sorry for this 16-year-old who obviously knows nothing about winning or performing in the clutch. The only funny thing is how the Wie Warriors get so pumped up, convinced they are finally going ... full post »

The USGA recently held the groundbreaking on the new Arnold Palmer Center addition to its New Jersey musuem. A nice enough ceremonial honor to be sure. But Palmer went a little overboard with his USGA genuflection. “I don’t think you can put words to how important it is to me as an individual,” Palmer told USGA.org. “When I was a kid, it was my family and God and the USGA. That was kind of the way I was raised.” Well, of course. My family, God and the USGA. How can your country or your friends for that matter manage to make this ... full post »

Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie both come from relatively privileged backgrounds, the kind of environments that allow for swing coaches and golf academies. But if you didn’t know any better, if you just judged by their actions, you’d think that Creamer and Wie were raised worlds apart. For Paula Creamer is street tough, while Michelle Wie is marketing-focused wimpy. Just ask Annika Sorenstam. There was Creamer sticking up to the often self righteous, self entitled Sorenstam at the ADT Championship, challenging her on a ball drop. Creamer got into Sorenstam’s face (at least literally), refused to show any deference to the No. 1 ... full post »

Retief Goosen strolled into the final round of the Tour Championship, only three shots behind the unproven Bart Bryant. Goosen was playing in the final group, posed to put pressure on a golfer desperate for a breakthrough. So what does Goosen do? He folds. On Sunday. Again. This time it was a 4-over 74 on a course that was playing about as tough as grandparents are on their new grandkids. This included a stretch of three bogeys and a double bogey in five holes. Which is nothing new for Goosen on Sundays. He shot an 81 when everyone was already handing him the ... full post »

I don’t care if Phil Mickelson wanted to take his kids out trick-or-treating as some writers reported and Mickelson’s agent just as quickly denied. I don’t care if he believes that the Tour Championship is about as big time as a bocce ball tournament (looking at the TV ratings you’d have to think that most casual golf fans agree with that). I don’t care if he’s waging his own one-man protest slash hissy fit. I don’t care if he’s using this weekend to research this year’s version of his Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl bet. And I don’t think any golf fans ... full post »