The Fed Ex Cup is confusing to everyone, from the players down to the fans. The only ones who understand it are Tim Finchem and his accounting team. These are the guys who play the stock market and know all about annuities, stock options and balloon payments. They invented them. You were expecting a simple plan? Still, I feel a little sympathy toward Finchem because it is necessarily intricate. This isn’t an eight, ten or even 20-team playoff. They start off with 144 players and had to come up with some way of eliminating them. I can’t imagine what the leaderboards will ... full post »

The Fed Ex Cup is causing a lot of confusion, especially among sportswriters, never exactly known for their ability to absorb detailed information. So Tiger Woods and Ernie Els skip a “playoff” event? So what? Does that demean the whole shebang? Look at it like this: They’re high seeds and don’t have to play with the rest of the irregulars. Basically, they’re getting byes. Happens all the time in other sports. True enough, byes in other sports are the result of well spelled out rules, and Tiger, Els and others just say, “I think I’ll skip this one.” They’re all locks to advance, so ... full post »

The Bahamas continues to shoot itself in the foot when it comes to tourism. Recently, a female tourist who was robbed in Nassau was turned away by three police stations while trying to get help, according to Bahamas B2B.com In a separate story, a recent report by the United Nations/World Bank ranked the Bahamas No. 1 in the world in terms of sexual violence. Overall, the Caribbean has three of the top-10 recorded rape rates in the world, the others being St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica. The violence against women has gotten so bad, leaders of Caribbean nations have called a region-wide ... full post »

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – At the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Tiger Woods said the hottest place he’s ever played golf was in Malaysia. Since I was in Tulsa at the time – sweating like a racehorse – I didn’t like hearing those words, especially since I knew I’d be going to Malaysia shortly. Well, I’m in Malaysia now, and I can say Tiger was wrong. It’s hot here, obviously, but Tulsa was hotter. By the way, I have a suggestion to the Honorable Minister of Golf here. They need to introduce something to the Malaysia golf culture. It’s something we have all ... full post »

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – First, they tried sterilizing them. Now they’re going to eat them. Actually, they’re going to ship them off and let other people eat them. Monkeys are crawling all over Malaysia. I’m standing here at my hotel window in the pre-dawn hours, with the sun giving just enough light to see a group of long-tailed macaques far below, roaming the streets like Brooklyn street thugs. Officials estimate there are nearly 700,000 of them in Malaysia. I’m not sure why they’re still on the official endangered list, but they are. The government, calling them urban menaces, just agreed to drop an ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Stephen Ames, who admitted he didn’t know how long he could hold up to the pressure of playing with Tiger Woods in the final round of a major, didn’t take long to show his nerves at the 89th PGA Championship. Ames has bogeyed the first two holes, to fall four shots behind Woods, allowing Woody Austin to take second place, two strokes behind the leader. Ames started off with a pull off the tee in the rough, and then hit into the bunker on No. 2. Woods himself bogeyed the second hole, and is two shots ahead of Austin. Ames ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Simon Dyson, the winner of the Finnish amateur, is likely to have his first top-10 in a major, after firing a sizzling 64 in Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship. “Yeah, I mean, I always thought my best chance of doing well in a major would be in the British Open because obviously I played a lot of links golf. But, my best finish in the British Open has been like 35th or something. So, to finish in the top-10 in the U.S. PGA, which is the top-100 players in the world, it’s something I’ll savor for ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Phil Mickelson had a bogey-free 69 in the final round of the 2007 PGA Championship Sunday. “I think I missed only one green he first 13 holes and had a lot of chances for birdies,” Mickelson said afterward. “I didn’t make any. Made one on 17. Otherwise, I had a nice (Nick) Faldo round going, where he won the British (Open) at Muirfield with no bogyes, no birdies. That’s kind of where I was headed until 17.” Mickelson, who birdied that hole, says he feels like he is finally coming around after an extended period battling a wrist injury. “I’ve ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Sergio Garcia, the talented, colorful and sometimes childish star from Spain, has been disqualified from the 89th PGA Championship for a scorecard infraction. Garcia signed an incorrect scorecard. On the 17th hole, Boo Weekley signed Garcia’s score as a four when it was actually a five. Garcia reviewed the card and approved it, but the mistake was caught by officials and Garcia’s mediocre run at the tournament came to an end. “It was a mistake,” said a PGA of America official. “He’s been playing golf long enough, he should know better.” full post »

TULSA, Okla. - First of all, I’m a hillbilly myself, so don’t be giving me any political correctness bull spit. It’s always good to have one of these guys around, for laughs as well as to keep things in perspective. Some of them pour it on a little thick, but Boo – named after Boo Radley? (points for you readers who know who that is) – seems genuine. He says he’s only going to stay in the game as long as it takes enough money to retire to a life of fishing and hunting. “I want to play 10-12 years, whatever it takes ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - I think most golf fans might be surprised to see how conservative the pros actually play. As an experiment for you, the beloved reader, I stood at the 10th tee at Southern Hills for much of the first two rounds of the PGA Championship. No. 10 is a 366-yard par-4, a sharp dogleg right. There is a big, spreading oak at the corner, guarding the dogleg. It’s slightly downhill, and the fairway slants right to left and can kick balls into the left rough easily. There are often tricky winds to deal with. Almost every pro I saw hit 4- ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. – You wouldn’t think Stephen Ames has much in common with Rory Sabbatini. They both like to play fast. Other than that, not much. They do have one other thing in common. They’ve both dissed Tiger Woods. And paid the price. Sabbatini is probably the more famous for it. He memorably called Woods “beatable.” Woods shot back, but Sabbatini stuck to his guns. Woods went on to wipe the floor with him, but Sabbatini would not shut up. He kept talking about it, even after Woods wiped the floor with him and the rest of the field at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. – Phil Mickelson’s sore wrist has apparently pretty much healed, at least to the point he could shoot a 69 during Friday’s second round at the PGA Championship. “This is the first week I feel just terrific,” Mickelson said afterward. “I haven’t had any problems, haven’t even thought about it. This is the first week I haven’t had to numb it. Or last week was the first week I haven’t had to numb it up. My game is better. My hand feels pretty good, and I’m excited about playing golf.” He wasn’t too excited about his round, even though his ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. – I’ve always had a soft spot for Stephen Ames, who is technically a Canadian, but in fact was born in Trinidad, where I too used to live. Ames has grabbed the lead about midway through Friday’’s second round here at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Ames started off with a birdie, but bogeyed No. 3, a 451-yard par-4 dogleg left that features one of the toughest greens on the course, but came back two holes later to birdie No. 5, a gargantuan, 653-yard par-5. He then bogeyed No. 6, but has come back nicely with two straight birdies ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - There were plenty of bets Thursday about how long the opening-round leaders at the PGA Championship at Tulsa’s Southern Hills would hold up on Friday. Well, Graeme Storm, the first-day leader who shot a 5-under-par 65, didn’t last long. So far, Storm has five bogeys and a double to offset his three birdies, and has dropped back to 1-under, putting him in a six-way tie for third place. John Daly, whose opening round 67 stunned many, hasn’t teed off yet. Woody Austin is now 3-under, putting him in a first-way tie with Daly for first. Those who teed off early in ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Sergio Garcia was one of the few players who came close to blaming the ungodly heat during Thursday’s opening round of the 89th PGA Championship. “It’s really hot,” said Garcia, stating the obvious after shooting an even-round par at Southern Hills Country Club. “You constantly have to clean the sweat off your arms and hands and 15 seconds later you’re sweating again and it makes things tough.” Garcia had a strange round, with three bogeys on the front nine and three straight birdies on the back. The rest of the field was obviously struggling in the sweltering sun, but few ... full post »

TULSA, Okla. - Only John Daly would skip practice for a major and head for the casino. Or at least he is probably the only PGA Tour player who would admit it. Daly didn’t play any practice rounds here at Southern Hills for the 89th PGA Championship, though the Cherokee Casino people down the road closed down their course for three or four hours earlier this week for the big hitter’s exclusive use. Daly took a break from the slots and poker tables to find a little practice time. Whatever. It worked. Daly fired an opening-round 67 here, making him the mid-afternoon ... full post »

Jim Furyk, who says Southern Hills fits his game perfectly, will indeed play in the 89th PGA Championship, here at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa. But, if you can believe him, don’t look for him to be a major contender. Furyk has been battling back problems, but says after he received some physical therapy this week, will be able to play, though he won’t be at 100 percent. “I was one happy person last night when I went to be because I felt so much better and woke up this morning (Wednesday) less stiff,” Furyk said Wednesday. “I’m still not 100 percent, ... full post »

I ain’t no Gary Player. I’m not going to throw out the specter of steroids in golf and then not back it up by withholding names. I’ve compiled the following list of steroid-pumped golfers, after minutes of exhaustive, investigative reporting, including the use of sealed court documents, interviews, Congressional records and stuff that came to me in a dream-state. Fred Funk: The Funk was averaging only 120 yards off the tee before he started juicing. Tiger Woods: The rigors of living up to his reputation as the greatest golfer of all time AND a young, Swedish wife? I know he’s still young, but ... full post »

I’m no big fan of the FedEx Cup – yet – mainly because I’m not getting a piece of the $10 million prize, but I do think it will become a big deal. Everybody’s taking shots at it because, well, it’s just fun taking shots at what the PGA Tour suits come up with when they try to “grow” the game. I’ve taken my share. And it’s true the players aren’t exactly backing the tour’s relentless promotion of the season-ending playoff system. “I don’t think anybody’s talked about it,” Will MacKenzie told Dan Hinxman of RJG.com. “I don’t think anybody really cares too ... full post »

Though I’ve lived in both Alaska and throughout the Caribbean, I’ve spent the majority of my life in Florida, so I love it when I leave the flatlands to play golf in the mountains. It may be that mountain golf is so attractive simply because it’s so different. Florida courses can have a sameness to them, even the best ones: flat and featureless with a ton of water. But, I think there’s more to it than that. Mountain golf has variety inherently built in: you’re hitting up, you’re hitting down, you’re hitting from all sorts of different lies. The views, of course, are ... full post »