1. How did Jessica Korda, an amateur, make six birdies and shoot -4 on Sunday at the USGA Women’s Open? She’s 13 years old only, for goodness sake! I don’t care that her dad is Petr Korda, the ancient pro tennis player. Not like her name is Lendl or anything. 2. What madness has afflicted the final pairing of Creamer and Lewis? They seem to be feeding off each other in an antagonistic, horrific way. Creamer has two dubs and two sings, while Lewis has a dub and two sings. Better ball, they’re ... full post »

Dateline: June 28th, 2008 Minea Blomqvist (Anyone hate a random [v] in a Scandinavian name? Certainly not I!!) went on record on Swedish golfers. Here is the quote, courtesy of Geoff Shackleford Blomqvist offered a theory on that front. “I always tell a story about why the Swedes are so good in golf,” she said, laughing. “Because in golf, you need an empty mind, and there’s nothing going on in their heads, so that’s why they play good.” Coming on the heels of John Miller’s xenophobic diatribe against Italian-Americans, I feel that ... full post »

She is the kid, the one who overcame scoliosis, and she currently sits at -3 at the halfway pole. Recently a stellar (5-0) member of the victorious US Curtis Cup side, Stacy Lewis is ready to win. There simply isn’t much to dislike about this lass. You’ll learn more about her as she embarks on her professional career. She won a rain-shortened LPGA event a year or so ago, leading after round one. When the deluge prohibited further play, she was declared the winner, without any of the trappings that normally accompany a tour win. Did ... full post »

I challenge anyone to name a sport other than golf where the toughest event in the world could be won by a competitor with a stress fracture and torn ACL. As bad as those injuries were, the nature of the sport of golf allowed the injured Tiger Woods to win the US Open. I do rank the 2008 US Open as the greatest US Open of all time (beyond Merion in 1950, which would be the second greatest US Open of all time). I base my margin on one slim hole…the 91st and final hole. If ... full post »

I am trying to determine how the USGA awards US Open exemptions to women and men and whether or not it is equitable. The reason is, the runner-up for the recently-concluded US Women’s Amateur Public Links qualified for the US Women’s Open, held this week in Minnesota at Interlachen. The actual champion, coincidentally the NCAA Division I individual champion, is not exempt for the event. Jennifer Song evidentally qualified the old-fashioned way and should be applauded. Based on her runner-up finish at the WAPL to Tiffany Joh, Song is capable of success in the Open. Joh, on ... full post »

With a name like MONTESANO, I have an inherent right to make the following commentary (humorous postscript to follow.) 1. Johnny Miller might have been thinking Italian-American denigration when he made the two comments, but nothing he said in either one can be construed (only misconstrued) as xenophobic, biased or bigoted. It is true that guys with the name Rocco don’t get their name on the trophy, as none appears on the championship vessel. Guys named Ben, Jack, and John do seem to appear with frequency, as well as a feline named Tiger. Guys with the names ... full post »

We completed week one of the 2008 %$^#&* golf camp (name concealed to protect the innocent) on Friday and adults continue to behave true to form. Some majors absolutely understand that minors are the present and the future of the game and the world while others simply cannot grasp that fact. The camp works something like this…on Mondays and Wednesdays we have an hour of etiquette and rules chat, then head to the course for short game and long game practice before lunch. After snacking, the kids play up to nine holes on a short regulation course. Tuesday ... full post »

If the grimaces and flinching of the final six holes yesterday are any indication, Tiger Woods will have his Ben Hogan moment today. No, it is not a bus accident, an 18-month recovery from the abyss of death, and Merion, but it is a powerful athlete with an undependable body. Today will determine if Tiger Woods can underpower and underwhelm a course and a field and still emerge as champion. full post »

In case you had forgotten the roar of the Masters, it has returned. Much like the Massachusetts lighthouse that ended up in California, the roars of Augusta were transplanted to San Diego this week. Can anyone remember a US Open in which a leader made two eagles on the final nine of the third round, on holes that were meant to be eagled? Congratulations to the USGA for preserving the excitement of major championship golf. full post »

I know what you’re thinking, Davis Love III, not David Love III. If so, you could work for NBC’s coverage team. Unbelievably, they posted at 4:05 EST an image of DL3 with his new first name, David. Well, he is fairly new to the golf scene, so the mistake is understandable. Nice job, NBC. full post »

I kid you not, Michael “Where’s Wie” Bamberger and Farrell Evans debate whether the loogie has a place on the golf course. If that is not the most humorous topic since, well, Bamberger interceded on behalf of Michelle Wie’s demise, I don’t know what is. What’s next for Bamberger, pissing in the woods? Burping on the tee? Farting in the fairway? Lord knows what he’ll find in the rough and hazards. Fortunately for Bamberger, Evans takes an even more ludicrous take on the history of spitting. Don’t know if this is revisionist hocking, but he ... full post »

Tell me what you make of this quote. HERB LOTMAN: It’s not really…first of all, hold on. I hope you are all having a good day. It’s not really a significant remark, you know the fact that we’re going to switch from the LPGA to the PGA event is not significant is it? But we would never do that either because our amateurs our nine thousand amateurs in twenty eight years we only had one complaint. I like to know what the percentage would be on the other side of the fence. But we won’t get into that. I’ll behave. I promised ... full post »

These players are done for the week, having emptied their holsters of birdies on Saturday: Zachary Sucher, 61 at Sunnehanna Amateur. Course record will have to be enough. Ricky Fowler wins second consecutive Sunny this day. Jee-Young Lee and Maria Hjorth, 65s at LPGA Championship. With Annika and Lorena on their heels, these ladies have had their moment in the sun at Bulle Rock. Matt Every and Reid Edstrom, 63s on Nationwide Tour. Every is tied for 1st with Quinn, a stroke ahead of Ginn, with Toledo lurking. Edstrom is 5 back, hoping for a top 5 finish. Tim ... full post »

Spring is one of those great seasons (since there are only four, maybe that’s not saying so much)in which sports collide. Since my brain is loose and bounces against my skull with regularity, I often get the sports confused and imagine what our sports world might be like if these sports were to collide even more. Here’s what I came up with. Octopus On Ice: Not a delicacy (although it might be in Iceland) they do this as a tradition in Detroit during hockey games. The NHL banned dead octopi this season, although it didn’t harm the Red Wings ... full post »

In two recent blog entries, I was taken to task by readers (God I love them, as they justify my existence!) for my opinions on Ochoa v. Sorenstam and Meg Bolger, the misplaced mid-am on the Curtis Cup team. I plan to address both comments here and now, to validate THEIR existence. First, the battle of the Titans. Irma double-commented this one, demonstrating her staying power. The first and pithy one went like this: Comment from: Irma [Visitor] Email Weren’t Lorena’s first 5 wins convincing enough for you? The follow-up, less terse, drove home the nail with ... full post »

I don’t know John Coyne. I knew a Kevin Coyne once, but he was from Rochester and spoke too fast, too young… I’d heard of John’s brother, Tom Coyne; he’s the fellow who walked around Ireland, playing golf. Understand, he didn’t ride anywhere, just walked the whole damned island! Either Tom uses hair gel for redheads or John is way older than Tom. With my luck, I’ve confused two Coyne family branches. They’re both probably lucky to have each other, cosmic siblings (if not blood ones) in the golf family. John Coyne is a horror and ... full post »

Meghan Bolger has won two consecutive USGA women’s mid-amateur championships. On the International Level, that means nothing. Bolger was the only USA player to 0 for the week at St. Andrews during the 2008 Curtis Cup, decided today in the USA’s favor, 13-7. The Curtis Cup was extended to three days this year, bringing it into equity with all other international team events. Bolger competed in two pairs matches and lost both. Her two partners in those matches, Amanda Blumenhurst and Tiffany Joh, lost NO OTHER matches during the event. Blumenhurst went 3.5-.5 with ... full post »