At least we won’t have the spectacle of Michelle Wie trying once again to quality for the U.S. Open. Remember the circus last year, when she tried and failed? “I think Michelle demonstrated that it’s possible for a woman to play in a men’s major,” her father said. And this was AFTER she had tied for 59th in a field of 153 players in Open qualifying. There were 8,544 applications to this year’s tournament, and not one of them had Michelle Wie’s name on it. Is it because of her lingering wrist injury, or have Wie and her deluded entourage finally ... full post »

In my earthly travels, I’ve found that the people in the Bahamian out-islands are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. Not Nassau or Freeport, god forbid. Stay away from those places, but in places like Eleuthera, Andros, the Exumas, the people are open, honest and welcoming to strangers. They’re a shy people for the most part, but nearly always smiling. They will go out of their way to help you out. A big exception is Bimini, and any other place that is heavily dependent on tourism. A close second to the Bahamians in the friendliness factor are the Vietnamese, followed by Puerto Ricans, Ticos ... full post »

CBS’s refusal to run the John Daly ad for Maxfli is about as hypocritical as Daly being treated for alcohol abuse but still drinking beer. The network says, officially: “Any implication that participants are drinking in excess or performing an activity that requires a level of alertness while drinking does not meet network standards.” Network standards. Just what exactly is a network standard? From what I see – and it is a rare moment indeed when I allow a commercial to slip across my screen – the network standard is slightly above imbecilic and way below merely stupid. Don’t sympathize with the marketing ... full post »

First, a U.S. Open qualifying quiz: Who is exempt from the 2007 U.S. Open A. Corey Pavin B. Ryuji Imada Answer below. The USGA sends out some pretty dull press releases, but its latest was chock full of interesting stuff. It involves entries to the U.S. Open, to be played June 14-17 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA. They got more than 8,500 entries, 80 percent of them online. More than 700 were received the final day, 130 in the final hour. A guy named Arvo Voip, a 25-year-old amateur from Magalia, California, got his in with 17 seconds to spare. The oldest applicant is 76-year-old Ordean ... full post »

When I review a golf course, I will more often than not think about whether or not women would like it. If I’m paired with a female, I’ll always ask her what she thinks of the course, and why she likes or dislikes it. I’ll usually include it in the review. I do this because a course men may like may not be a course women would necessarily like. Women want different things from their golf experience. The Executive Women’s Golf Association is going to help me out. The group has come up with a program whereby courses can earn special “women-friendly” ... full post »

So I’m watching the Asian Open on TV the other day and the camera shows Colin Montgomerie getting ready to hit. Instinctively, I hit the mute button and don’t move a muscle. I don’t even breathe. Then I realized Monty can’t hear me or see me. Turns out, he was complaining about some spectators moving about 200 yards up the fairway. In America, if he was an umpire, we’d say he had “rabbit ears.” Monty is climbing up my list of biggest jerks in golf. Here they are, in order. 1: Vijay Singh. Look, defend the guy if you want. Point out ... full post »

If you’ve ever lived in one of those crazy countries that isn’t the US of A, you find yourself missing the oddest things. When I was wandering around in the Caribbean all those years, for example, I missed the simple luxury of pulling off the road, virtually anywhere I happened to be, and buying a Snickers and coffee. Believe it or not, there are places in the world you can’t do that. Now, back in the USA for a few years, I’m a heavy traveler and one of the world’s foremost authorities on interstate convenience stores. And I am constantly amazed at the ... full post »

I hate made-up, marketer names, and I see a load of them in my travels. I hate developers who stick up cheap condos and give them phony place names like Vista del Mar, The Preserve, or Anything-By-the-Bay. Or anything vaguely lordly or British. The Commons. The Square. I hate golf clubs who stick the pretentious “e” on the end of their names. I’m more attracted to authentic, honest names: Mosquito-Infested-Sump-Hole. Gum Stump Landing. Malaria Bay. I hate fake downtowns. I love Two-Egg, Florida. Here are some of my favorite place-names in Florida, all real, none of them made up by marketers: Andytown. Bonnie Lock and Briny Breezes. Chain O’ ... full post »

The golf industry has been designating May as free lesson month for the last few years, and the LPGA is getting involved in it for the first time. Good time for you ladies to get free lessons. Just go to the LPGA Web site, or PGA.com, the PGA of America’s site, for that matter, and see if an LPGA certified club or teaching pro in your area is participating this year. Call her up, sign up and get some free lessons, but be aware it will only be for 10 minutes. The LPGA pros are being asked to do four hours ... full post »

This year’s Masters wasn’t exactly the most exciting in history, and it may be known for one important thing it confirmed: Tiger Woods is not a charger. He may never be. He can hold a lead better than anyone in history, but he’s simply one of those guys who cannot come from behind. He may be the world’s best golfer. He may be on his way to becoming the best golfer of all time, but the dude won’t go down as one of history’s Great Chargers. Actually, Woods led the Masters briefly Sunday, so it could be said, technically, he couldn’t protect ... full post »

I don’t know what it is with these people who want to see nothing but birdies. They’re the equivalent of baseball fans who want to see nothing but home runs, unable to appreciate the subtler beauties of the game. For my money, and viewing pleasure, I enjoy watching the world’s best golfers have to work at the game. I like seeing them scramble for par. The best golfers in the world SHOULD be striving for perfect shots. Having said that, I think the Masters has diminished with all the changes to Augusta National. It isn’t just the added length, although that probably ... full post »

Chris DiMarco. Florida’s winning everything, why the hell not the Masters? DiMarco’s a Gator, but not one of the unbearable ones. Gators are like Republicans – there are a microscopic handful of decent ones. DiMarco should have been a Seminole, but officials got his transcripts messed up. Actually, I’m just having a bit of sport. The real winner will be: Ernie Els. He has three top-five Masters finishes and finished second twice. He’s a big hitter with a nice touch around the greens. He has the temperament, and he won’t be intimidated by the Sunday pressure at Augusta. It’s his time. full post »

The Black Knight should go gentle into that good night. Gary Player is making his 50th appearance at the Masters this week, and swears he’ll be back next year, just to break Arnold Palmer’s record. I’ve always liked the way the Masters lets the old champions play, within reason. Player is 71 years old now and doesn’t stand a chance in hell of winning and only a slightly lesser chance of making the cut. I hate it when athletes hang on just to set records. It cheapens whatever record they’re going after. Palmer himself probably made a few appearances in Augusta he shouldn’t ... full post »

Actually, he’s probably telling the truth when he says he hit his Nike SUMO 2 driver 300 yards into the wind. I’ve met Kiel up close and personal. He’s a pretty big guy, don’t let that intellectual air fool you. Still, 300 yards into a 30-50 mph wind? Now, I’ve had my share of 300-yard bombs – which I crow endlessly about to anyone who will listen – but if I hit a 300-yarder into a gale force wind, I’m checking into Champions Tour eligibility. I just got Taylor Made’s new “Burner” driver in the mail. When I pulled it out of ... full post »

Oddsmakers are saying Tiger Woods is the overwhelming favorite to win the Masters this week, but Irishman Paddy Harrington says it’s ridiculous to single one person out. He certainly doesn’t, or so he says. He points to Phil Mickelson’s Augusta win last year. “Why put one player there when anyone who watched that individual event last year would have definitely walked away and said ‘Phil Mickelson must be well ahead as the world’s best player,’ ” Harrington told Reuters. “There’s no point in singling one player out.” I like Paddy’s attitude, but I think he’s had one too many pints, or maybe not ... full post »