12:05 p.m. – Justin Leonard, United States, vs. Tim Clark, LEONARD STARTS HITTING BALL SIDEWAYS WHILE CLARK PUTS ON USUAL PUTTING DISPLAY. WORLD MOVES ONE POINT AHEAD. 12:15 p.m. – David Toms, United States, vs. Trevor Immelman, ALTHOUGH IMMELMAN REPEATS AUGUSTA FOUR-FEET VERTICAL WITH HOLE IN ONE, TOMS OVERCOMES FEARS OF CARDIAC COLLAPSE TO WIN ON 18TH GREEN. BACK TO EVEN. 12:25 p.m. – Tiger Woods, United States, vs. Retief Goosen, WHEN JASON GORE APPEARS ON WOODS’ BAG, THE MEMORY IS TOO MUCH FOR THE AFRIKAANER, WHO FIRES A FRONT-NINE 81 ON WAY TO HUMILIATING 10 & 8 DEFEAT. ... full post »

They won multiple world cups together. They genuinely like each other, yet feed off each other competitively. They are the same age, the same personality, the same height (almost.) Why did it take Captain Jack so long to put them together? Davis loses with Kenny Perry on Friday, while Fred loses with Tiger. On Thursday, Love loses with Perry while Fred sits on his duff. Given old-guy captains’ penchants for almost-old-guy players, you’d think that Jack-O would have put these two together. But hey, I’m just a hack writer. full post »

1. Can Tiger play alternate shot with himself? 2. Can Michelle Wie become a professional model, and maintain her amateur status in golf, play for Stanford, etc.? 3. Can Morgan Pressel bottle her attitude and sell it on the web? 4. Can Jim Furyk and David Toms put aside their “I don’t want to be the next Chris Riley” concerns and do what’s best for the USA team? 5. Can Jason Gore fly? 6. Can Michael Campbell decry the term “overnight success"? 7. Can Cristina Kim be any better for the game? 8. Can some high school kid really ... full post »

Here is a twenty-second blog in honor of Bob Lewis. Pick the youngsters who can play, and screw the “we need a veteran presence” theory. Fred is 0-2, Beth didn’t play well, Curtis and Lanny didn’t play well. Only the Walker Cup team went with all young bucks, and they won a great match. Bring it on! full post »

During this season of raw reality, we have all become a bit more introspective, and perhaps extra-spective in the process. We have sent money to victims of Katrina, opened our homes to refugees from Rita, and purchased more rubber wrist bands for various causes than I could ever count (my daughters’ rainbow arms are testimony!) So why am I highlighting the following sequence, from today’s Damon Hack Presidents’ Cup report in the New York Time(all caps my own): “Mickelson, who had lost eight of his last nine matches in the President and the Ryder Cups, teamed with Chris DiMarco to defeat ... full post »

Just read that Phil is pledging his earnings or 250K to the hurricane relief fund. Gotta like the style. He’s going to go out and play his best, and if he eclipses the 250K (what is that, Tenth Place these days?) for the week, great. If not, we know what they are going to get from the PGA champ. In addition to the mountain of personal contributions (Fax and Andrade, et al.), this is absolutely the way to announce, by leaving nothing to chance. So guys, remember, if Phil needs a three footer on 18 ... full post »

As I peruse the leaderboard of the Canadian Open, Trevor Immelman’s name appears at -3. This is THE GUY to watch for the next few years. Even though he has won around the globe, including a World Cup with noted slowpoke Rory Sabbatini, that breakthrough win in the US of A will establish him as much more than Luke “Are you waiting for me to choke again” Donald, the current media darling. You need only re-examine Immelman’s reaction to his ace at 16 on the weekend at Augusta to know the level of physical fitness he has attained. ... full post »

The scenes continue to numb us, the thought that our own would open fire on workers attempting to repair breeched levees is surreal, yet the world spins on. I’d like to begin by recognizing and thanking the many courses who are hosting day-long benefits for the victims of the hurricane and flood; they don’t have to give up 14 hours of revenue, but they freely do. I’d like to recognize Greg Norman, who once again donated the services of his helicopter and pilot to ferry supplies and medicine in the name of the cause. The Spanish Red ... full post »