We really didn’t need a blog to tell us that Tim Finchem will do anything Tiger tells him to. That much was known long ago. What’s ludicrous about Finchem’s latest mess is that we’re even having this discussion. As ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd said today, “Testing PGA players for steroids is like looking for Paris Hilton’s mensa score. There’s nothing there.” I won’t go that far; it’s entirely possible some players have taken a few supplements. But is it something that’s threatening the core of the game? Aren’t there any bigger issues out there? Maybe it’s just me, but when I see ... full post »

Dear Phil: Just read where you’re withdrawing from the annual ING Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich. Probably a good idea. Why bring your family to an event you always enjoy and start moving forward with things? Instead, stay home and mope for a few weeks. Watch the Open’s final hole 200 times and review all the articles written about your meltdown (be sure to catch what Watson and Nicklaus had to say), and I’m sure you’ll feel much better by the next major. There’s no doubt you’re making the right call, Phil. Don’t go to the Shootout, where ... full post »

Quite a weekend for the good people of New Orleans. From Jazzfest to Reggie Bush and the Zurich Classic, the Big Easy is back. Maybe not entirely, sure, but the signs are good. With all the excitement surrounding Bush, it’ll be easy to minimize the PGA Tour’s role in this pivotal weekend. But after Katrina, commish Tim Finchem could’ve easily followed the government’s lead and simply ignored New Orleans. Katrina left the TPC of Louisiana battered and bruised (it’s still months away from reopening), giving Finchem a clear opening to move the event. To his credit, Finchem remained committed to New ... full post »

For all the criticism Bud Selig receives – and deservedly so – he’s no longer the worst commissioner in sports. Just days into the new year, PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem has successfully wrested away the title. In no other major sport does opening day receive as little attention as the Tour’s Mercedes Championships, which ranks right below the Meineke Bowl on your average fan’s winter radar. Tim McDonald and Chris Baldwin have already bashed the Mercedes, but they haven’t assessed enough blame. Why don’t Mickelson, Tiger and others even care about their season opener? Because nobody calls them on ... full post »

Some comebacks are just unnecessary. After this week’s Madrid Open, we can add Seve Ballesteros to the list. Absent from competition for the past two years due to injuries, Seve talked a good game heading into Madrid. “Winning is very possible,” he told the AP. Apparently the meds Seve took for his arthritic back have made him delusional. Forget about winning; making the cut wasn’t even very possible. Seve’s 77-73 left him at 8-over, and he missed the cut by 14 strokes, finishing next-to-last out of 119 golfers. He’ll always be revered by his fellow Spaniards, but we’ve never been huge Seve ... full post »

Want to make golf more accessible for American kids? Look toward Australia, mate. As Stuart Appleby told the San Francisco Chronicle, “Golf is way more affordable in Australia than it is here (in the U.S.). It’s not as elitist a sport over there. You can join an exclusive club and pay only $2,000 to $3,000 per year. It’s just less segregated socially.” Affordable golf? Hard to believe, but true. In that same story, Robert Allenby tells how kids can play a round of golf in Australia “for $7 or $8 in U.S. dollars.” Wow. Here in California, eight bucks gets your ... full post »

News item: PGA European Tour Fines Sergio Garcia. For what, you ask? A profanity-laced press conference? Punching a belligerent fan? Showing up drunk? Nothing that bad, fortunately. Instead, Garcia was fined for kicking an advertising board during last week’s Omega European Masters. Yes, you read that right. Garcia…kicked…a…sign. Oh, the horror! Can you believe he wasn’t suspended? How dare he show some real emotion on the course. Doesn’t Garcia understand pro golfers are supposed to be mere robots, programmed so every move supports their sponsors? What he should’ve done after three-putting the 17th for a bogey was simply pick up the ... full post »

It’s a good thing golf is an individual sport, because Phil Mickelson would be a lousy teammate. Ryder Cup fans already know this, of course, but just imagine Lefty suiting up for Bill Belichick this week. Mickelson: I’m going to have to miss week six, coach. Amy could have the baby that week. Belichick: Another baby!? Is that really necessary? Mickelson: Oh, and then I’ll have to miss a few games late in the year. I’ve got some charity commitments, some paid appearances, and then I thought I’d try out for the Toledo Mud Hens again. Belichick: Why don’t you just tell me ... full post »

Reading Tim McDonald’s recap of Ben Crane’s agonizingly slow win at the US Bank Championship reminded me of my favorite John Wooden quote: “Be quick, but never hurry.” If we’re lucky, Crane’s win won’t inspire a new wave of golfers to spend more time hovering over every shot. There are already enough slow golfers, and I’m convinced most of them have visited my local muni at some point. I’m not suggesting everyone needs to race through their next round, but I’m sure there’s a way to enjoy golf without overanalyzing every single bleeping shot. Like the Wizard of Westwood said, you ... full post »

Quote of the week comes from LPGA commish Ty Votaw, commenting on the tour’s new $1 million year-end playoff: “We didn’t talk to any of the other golf tours because we thought it was such a good idea, they would want to take it.” Yeah…that’s the ticket. Because a year-end playoff is just so unprecedented. I’ve never heard of such a thing. (Well, except for maybe in some minor sports like, say, baseball.) Pity Tim Finchem for not thinking of it first. Whether or not it’s actually a good idea for the LPGA is still a huge question. Even the ... full post »

After watching Annika Sorenstam steamroll the competition at last week’s Chick-fil-A, SI.com’s Seth Davis asked his employers to cancel the magazine’s Sportsman of the Year search. So what if it’s mid-May? Davis wants to give Sorenstam the honor right now. Guess what? He’s absolutely right. At this point, Sorenstam’s lead is larger than her 10-stroke win last Sunday. As Davis correctly points out, Sorenstam should’ve won the award in 2003. This time, you’d think she’d be a shoo-in. You’d be wrong. Curious to see how many times Sorenstam has been an SI cover girl, I accessed the magazine’s online archives. The ... full post »

Because I’m a bit of an airport geek, I just spent the past 30 minutes reviewing the new report from Skytrax that lists the world’s Top 10 Airports for 2005. (Okay, so maybe I’m a huge airport geek. Sue me. Surely I’m not the only one who actually looks forward to an extended layover so I can see if the airport might have a casino, porn shop, or an outdoor beer garden. As it turns out, Germany’s Frankfurt Airport has all three.) According to Skytrax - and its 5,584,365 survey respondents - five of the top 10 airports are in Asia, ... full post »

Like fellow blogger Jennifer Mario, I don’t have a problem with women receiving PGA Tour sponsor exemptions. For as much as these companies are paying, they should be allowed as many exemptions as they want. And, yes, it certainly won’t hurt the ratings when Michelle Wie plays in the John Deere Classic. And if she does well, she just might earn a spot in the British Open. To some, it’s blasphemy. I won’t go that far, but it all seems like way too much, too soon. What I’d really like to see is Wie put together a solid run on ... full post »

Phil Mickelson was sure the popular choice before the Masters, but that bandwagon is pretty light today. Tiger finally wins again and the Lefty naysayers come storming back in full voice. Fair enough. Having picked Mickelson to repeat, I’ll be the first to give Tiger all the respect in the world. But the Tour season didn’t end last Sunday. Before we start engraving Tiger’s player of the year trophy, let’s go ahead and play the other three majors, shall we? My hunch is Mickelson - unlike past years - isn’t going to be content this year w/wins at the FBR ... full post »

One year after correctly picking Phil Mickelson to win the Masters, I’m ready to do it again. And this year I feel even better about the choice. While Chris Baldwin waxes poetic - “Mickelson will forever be the romantic pick and seldom the realistic one” - it’s clear our favorite blogger is stuck in 2003. Back then, I would’ve agreed with Baldwin’s argument. Mickelson wasn’t mature enough to take that next step. But after a disastrous 2003 season (for Mickelson, at least), he changed his entire approach to the game. Thanks to his work with Dave Pelz and Rick ... full post »