I am really amazed at how Rory is running away from the field in the Open.  Similar to what he did in Augusta the first 63 holes.  But even more so with the typical US Open setup at Congressional, you just don’t expect someone to be shooting lights out like he is.

And I think it’s just in time for the game of golf too.  Everyone has been looking for the last few years for the next young gun who could really challenge Tiger.  And now, with Tiger struggling, I believe that golf fans are looking for someone to put some excitement back in the game.  Here he is, just 22, with a great golf game,  he appears to have a very good head on his shoulders, and he also just seems likable.  Just what the doctor would have ordered for the PGA tour.

So I believe that he IS, IN FACT, the best thing to happen to golf lately.  And I could be wrong about him, but I don’t think he will fold on Sunday this time.  I believe he is on the verge of greatness in the world of golf.

Now you may be wondering about my comment about Tiger.  What I meant by that was, at least for his golf game, Rory may be the push that Tiger needs.  With Luke Donald the new #1 and Rory looking like he has the potential to dominate in the majors, for Tiger to regain the spot light maybe he needs to really feel threatened.  And he might now have the threat  he needs.  In other words, someone else (Rory) who is the new darling of the golf world.

So all around, I not only like Rory McIlroy, but also think he is the right thing at the right time for the game of golf.

First of all, I think it is going to be tough for Tiger to break Jack’s record on major victories.  Why you say?  He still has plenty of shots left.  Yes, you are right about that.  But right now, I think that Tiger’s game is starting to come around but he still has two key things working against him.  One is that he still doesn’t have the laser focus that once made him almost unbeatable  (more on that in a minute).  Two, he has some health issues he has to overcome and, unfortunately, one of them has to do with his knee.  And given the way that Tiger swings a golf club, that is not good news.

But I believe he will eventually get himself back to 100% healthy.  It just takes longer at 35 than it did at 25.  Which is why I don’t think he will make it,  time is just against him at this point.

The mental part of it, I believe, is the more daunting part of his golf challenge for Tiger.  If Tiger has really changed and is trying to build and keep relationships with his children and ultimately will remarry, it will be tough to have the focus he had in the past.  I used to marvel at how such an ultra successful athlete could be so focused and driven as Tiger was.  Well now I don’t wonder any more.  He was so focused because everything else didn’t matter to him.  I’m not saying that you can’t be a world class professional golfer (or athlete in any sport) if you have family and aren’t an egomaniac, self centered, totally indulgent type person.  But I do believe that Tiger’s focus and total belief in his invincibility (which I would think are attached to those other unflattering terms I just used) made him the dominant golfer in the world that he once was.

Now many of you out there may disagree with me on this and that’s ok.  But I believe that Tiger will be better off and golf will as well if he doesn’t get to that level again.  And could he break Jack’s record without that level of focus?  Sure he could, but I just think it’s unlikely given where he stands, his age, current health, etc.

So even if Tiger doesn’t break Jack’s record, I believe he will win again.  And will be recognized as one of the greatest golfers to have played the game.   But if he discovers a life outside of golf while he is doing that, I believe he will be happier in the long term with both his life and his career.  So I don’t think his career is shot, it just is heading in a slightly different direction…..maybe that is.

Of course we have to talk about Tiger, so let’s get it out of the way first.  I believe that Tiger is really trying to change his personal life and rid himself of his demons.  Good luck to him, only time will tell there.  But as far as the golf world, I believe that Tiger will never be the totally dominating golfer that he once was.  I believe that he will win again and probably win a good bit.

I don’t think he will blow away Jack’s record on major tournaments, he might just sneak past it.  But I say all of this because of my belief that part of what made him so dominating is also what got him into trouble in his personal life.  So I actually don’t think that what has happened is bad or that Tiger not being the golfer he was before is all bad.

Phil Mickelson, boy he just can’t seem to stand success.  The #1 ranking was there for the taking and he just couldn’t take it.  He has proved that he can win majors.  And overcome many of the labels that were used about him in the past.  But he just can’t seem to take it to the top.  Or can he?  I think that 2011 will be a defining moment for Phil if he cares anything about the label of “#1″.  But then again, maybe it’s not that important to him.

Young guns.  Wow a lot of exciting young golfers coming along and it’s exciting to see.  People ask “Who is the next Tiger?”.  Wrong question,  I think we should be asking “Who are the next Jack, Arnold, and Gary?”   I’m looking forward to there being a little more parity at the top of the PGA ranks in future years.  I think it’s a lot more fun for the golf fans that way.

The FedEx Cup.  It was definitely fun to see Jim Furyk win the FedEx Cup this year.  But I still think that the PGA Tour has a long way to go to make it something that will get fans and golfers excited.  I’m looking for a major shakeup, but, sadly, like a BCS playoff, I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Overall.  Well I have no crystal ball so I don’t know where the economy is going.  But golf has struggled and seems to have weathered the storm so far.  And golf without the dominance of Tiger wasn’t a disaster as some predicted.  So I am excited to see what 2011 will bring.  On this day of Thanksgiving, I thank all of my readers and fans for your support!  It means a lot and is fun to share with you.

Starting with the historical perspective.  Only one time in history has it happened.  Coming back from 3 points down on the last day, which is singles.  We did it in 1999 at Brookline.  Which was a home match for us, by the way.  So what do you think the odds are for us to do that for only the second time in history, on foreign soil, with the kind of weather they have been having?

And given today’s results and the way our “big name” golfers have played, I don’t hold out much hope.  Phil Mickelson became the losingist (is that a word?) golfer in Ryder Cup history.  And Tiger got embarrased today.

And we have a number of untested golfers on this years’ squad.  Now one of the things about match play golf is that a lot of things can happen.  And, sure, the Europeans could fall apart (not likely).  So it’s definitely not over.  But my prediction is that we lose 17 1/2 to 10 1/2.

Prove me wrong guys.  I hope you will!

But the main point of this article isn’t the obvious prediction that we won’t win.  But it is to ask the question….What’s wrong with American golf that we have given up dominance of the Ryder Cup?  And, with the exception of The Masters, if you take Tiger out of the picture, we haven’t dominated any of golf’s Majors recently.

So the rest of the world has just gotten in recent years across the board.  Without Tiger, it appears that we Americans are basically pretty mediocre on the world stage at the game of golf.  Wonder why that is?  More to come.

This is a major competition and, quite frankly, the Europeans have mostly been kicking our butts lately.  Don’t agree with me?  Well let me give you some figures.

First, what is Tiger’s overall Ryder Cup record?  10-13-2.  Did you know that? Care to know what, for instance, Jack Nicklaus’s record was?  17-8-3.  Arnold Palmer?  22-8-2.  Tom Watson? 10-4-1.   So for all the hype from his younger days about what a tremendous match play golfer he was, he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype in Ryder Cup competition.  Now I know I am comparing him to some legends, but haven’t many called him potentially the greatest golfer of all time?

And he only shows up in the top five of categories of performance in the Ryder Cup in two categories.  Guess what they are?  Most matches lost –13  (2nd) and most four ball matches lost –6 (tied for 1st).

Here are some more numbers.  Wins this year—0.   Year of his worst four round tournament— 2010, total score 18 over.

In the past, people have openly questioned his commitment to the concept of team golf and, to me, his responses were always lukewarm.  But now, when he is playing the worst golf of his career, he makes the team, by a captain’s pick no less.

Now I don’t know if I can really blame Corey.  I mean talk about a no win situation.  He was definitely in one.  But while maybe Tiger is potentially the greatest golfer of all time…..for stroke play tournaments anyway.  But to me his career record and definitely his record this year DO NOT qualify him to be picked for this year’s Ryder Cup team.  Sorry Corey,  I understand why you did it, I just don’t agree with it.

In the Golf Magazine article it said that a survey of 15,000 everyday golfers reported that 95 percent of golfers knowlingly break the rules.  It also stated that the Duke student who headed up the study said it was because in their minds, it was not cheating.

So look at a foot wedge that many of us may have used before.  Is that cheating, especially if we claim “winter rules”?  Yes, by the rules of golf, it is cheating.

So is this guy right?  Do we just rationalize it in our own mind?   I believe in most cases that is the case.  In some cases, I think that it is just really ignorance of the Rules of Golf.  But most often, I agree with him, I think we talk ourselves into it.  For a variety of reasons.

First there is the rationalization that it’s just a friendly game with our regular foursome and we all allow each other to improve our lies.  That’s fair and even right?  No, technically, it is cheating; even if we all do it. 

Then there is the one that the idiot that designed the course should never, ever have put that tree (trap, creek, bush, swale, etc) there so we are going to correct his obvious design flaw?  Or what about hitting your ball during a practice swing?  Well, it was just practice so it doesn’t count?

Many reasons why we do it, but we tend to rationalize almost all of them.  But here is what I believe is the more important question.  Is it ok?  Say if it is just a round with friends and we all allow certain things to be ignored.  Is that ok? 

We all probably have very different opinions on this one, but here is mine.  If you can separate the situations from when you are playing competitively against other golfers or where you are going to be in a tournament of any kind, then I believe it’s not a problem.  And I think also that this should be a situation where you don’t turn in your score for handicap purposes.  If all four golfers in your foursome, for example, agree to improve lies in the fairway and there is nothing at stake, then why not I say?

The only problem here is that a lot of golfers can’t separate the two situations.  And the golf purists will argue that cheating is cheating no matter where or when. And I understand their argument.  But I also want to enjoy the game without creating problems. 

And I believe that if you are in any kind of competition, turning in your score card, or playing with a new group, GO STRICTLY BY THE RULES.  And, by the way,  I go by the rules almost all the time.  For me, the exception where we waive the rules is not very often, but it’s a personal choice.

Hope you don’t lynch me on this one, golf nuts.

Here are the results of the poll:

63% answered yes, they would like to see the course set up be more difficult

37% said no, they like it just fine the way it currently works.

So golfers have answered and it appears that we’d like to see more challenging golf courses on the PGA and LPGA tour.  Thanks golf nuts for all of your responses.

But as much as I love golf and as much as I respect all of the pro golfers (men and women) on the professional tours, for me personally, a lot of tournament golf has become a little boring.  Except for the major tournaments where it just seems that the pros have to really work hard to score and to win.

So, for me, it just makes me feel a little closer to those pros.  It’s not just me and the rest of the amateur golfers who struggle with this game.  These guys and girls are so good that it takes some pretty extreme challenges to really let the game of golf do it’s thing to them like it does it to us sometimes.

I also find it interesting to see how the men and women of the PGA and LPGA react to these circumstances.  You get to see a side of them that we normally don’t see week in and week out.

Now this got me to thinking about an interesting question.  Should the professional tours make the golf courses for the regular tournaments a little more difficult?  In other words, when we are not watching The Masters, The US Open, The Open Championship, or the PGA, do we really enjoy watching pro golfers shoot -10, -14, or even -22?

I’ve never really asked myself this before, but in watching the US Open so far and thinking about it, I’ve decided that I am in favor of this.  I believe that, especially with Tiger at a major turning point in his career (more about this in a later post), that not only will this make golf more interesting, but the game of golf needs this.

You may agree or disagree, but I think that professional tournament golf (other than the majors) has become a little boring.  And as always, I am interested in your thoughts.  So, if you would, take a minute and complete this poll question below.  I’ll post the results in a few days.

When you look back over the years, just his success as a coach is enough to blow you away. His accomplishments include 10 NCAA titles, at one point winning 7 in a row.  During a stretch that included a record of 205-5, he had 4 seasons with a perfect 30-0 records.   But so much of what you will hear about Wooden and what impacted me as well is about the man himself.

What has always impressed me so much about John Wooden was how he achieved success while impacting so many of his players in huge ways.  If you watch over the next couple of weeks, you will hear those testimonies pouring out.  And they are well deserved in my opinion.

He was intensely loyal.  He taught life lessons, not just basketball.  He was all about team, not the individual.  And he cared about his players immensely.  And he knew how to win, and in a big way regardless of the talent he had.

As I observe sports at the college and professional level there is no doubt that they changed quite a bit since Wooden was at UCLA.   Many might say that he couldn’t achieve today what he did in the 60′s and 70′s.  We’ll never know, but based upon what I know about the man, I wouldn’t put money on that.

Everything I’ve read, seen, and heard about Coach Wooden can be summed up in one simple phrase  “He was one of the totally genuine good guys.”  And the world will miss him.

Thank you coach for all you did and taught to all of us!

This was the first time in 22 starts that Mickelson has missed a cut.  And if you play golf, you know that no one can play the game at their best all the time.  Everyone has spots where they struggle, even the guys and girls on the pro tours.   

But here is a question.  There was a ton written recently about Phil having the opportunity to gain the top spot with a victory at Colonial.  And he immediately misses the cut.  And let’s look at how he missed the cut at a tournament that he has won twice previously. 

It was his highest round at Colonial in six years.  He only hit 12 of 28 fairways and only 24 of 36 greens. And he was 17 shots behind the leader when he departed.  And it wasn’t just one part of his game, he seemed to struggle in all areas.

Now Phil has proven that he can take the pressure to win a Major golf tournament.  So he is used to the limelight and major golf tournament pressure.  But with all that has happened in the “Tiger era” and with Tiger now vulnerable, the media pressure and attention will be as it has never been before.

The questions and focus will be so intense on who may supplant Tiger that I believe it may be a type of pressure and attention that Phil, in fact no golfer, has not faced before.  And golf is most definitely a mental game.

So I don’t think that Mickelson is unable to win in the short term and possibly gain the #1 spot.  I question whether he has the deep mental toughness to grab the #1 spot and keep it.  Can he survive, and even thrive, under the glare of that spotlight?  He may prove me wrong.  But even as good a guy as he is and a great golfer, I’m not convinced he can do it.

Freddie Couples playing great golf and just 4 strokes back of the leader as I write this.  Mickelson almost hits 3 eagles in a row, and there are a bunch of good golfers all together within striking distance.   This is the way that a Major golf tournament ought to be played out.

And one thing that I am enjoying is that it isn’t all about Tiger.  I am glad to see that the coverage is spread out, but then again I didn’t expect anything else at Augusta National.

Lee Westwood is currently the leader and playing very good golf. With Mickelson breathing down his neck, will he falter?  We shall see.

I know that I hear a lot of people say that golf is boring to watch on TV.  Well,  I will admit that sometimes it probably is, but if you are catching this 2010 Masters, I don’t really see how you can say that.

Here’s looking forward to Sunday’s final round!

Now don’t get me wrong,  Prugh is also a solid citizen who just happens to be very good at golf.  So his golf game at the pro level is not in question.  But when you read about his background, understand his family background and read about his focus and goals, Alex Prugh really seems to be a very good young golfer who also is mature and grounded.  And boy we need more of those.

And so far this year, while he hasn’t won any of those six golf tournaments, he has three top 10′s and is currently sitting at 25th on the money list.  So apparently the pressure of the big tour hasn’t caused him to fold.  One quote from the Sports Illustrated article gives you a glimpse into his mentality.  When he was nine years old and playing against a 16 year old in a tournament he was asked if he was nervous.  His response?  “Nope”.  “I don’t mind beating these big guys.”  I love that mentality.

So I am encouraged about the future of the game of golf and, I guess, sports in general.  The more I see of young pros like Alex Prugh, the more I can believe that there are still great athletes out there who are also “good guys”.

‘Till next time golfers, get your swing in shape, spring and lots of golf is right around the corner!

In Tiger’s apology, he asked people to find a way to believe in him again.  But I, for one, don’t know if I will ever be able to trust what he says and does going forward.    Some will call me judgemental and that is ok.  But as much as I wasn’t a super fan of Tiger, I did really respect his game and I also really respected him as a man.  I really thought that he was one of the “good guys”.  I believed that he was a guy who had achieved it all in his sports career and still kept his perspective and was a true role model.

But he wasn’t….

There are those who say that sports stars don’t have to be role models.  And maybe that is true.  But he accepted that role.  Tiger put himself out there as a role model and then let everyone down.

He has been criticized a lot about how he spoke the other day.  What he said, what he didn’t say, how he said it, and on and on and on.  None of that matters to me.  Although I will say that he looked really uncomfortable.  As well he should.  He was not only out of his element without a club in his hand or a great round just finished, but he was admitting things no one wants to admit.

And I personally think he was sincere.  But again, it doesn’t matter to me.  My bottom line is this:  Tiger was not the man that I though he was or the man that he led the world to believe that he was.  And not only was he not that guy, but I just can’t overlook what he did and how he went about it.  That’s just me.  Others may feel differently and that’s ok too.  We all have our opinions.

He may go on to achieve even higher greatness in the game of golf.  But for me personally, I just don’t respect him as a man and don’t know if I ever will again.  And I believe that there are probably more out there who feel the same way. And I think that makes it not only a sad day for Tiger but a sad day for golf.

Number Two:  The elimination of the FedEx Cup.  I never really understood why The PGA felt that they needed it.  I enjoy the golf season without it.  The majors, to me, are big highlights to the season and I, for one, don’t need a season ending series to enjoy the golf season.

Number Three:  A total absence of “You da man” being shouted out during tournament broadcasts.  I mean, really, what does this mean?  Maybe I’m the only one, but it drives me crazy.

Number Four:  Jim Furyk topping the money list and (if it still exists–see number two above) the Fed Ex Standings.  Furyk is one of my favorite golfers and had a very good year in 2009.  I’d love to see him continue that upward trend in 2010.

Number Five:  Another British Open like last year with Tom Watson.  I know, it’s not going to happen, but that sure was a ton of fun.

Well you may totally disagree with my list, but it’s my list and that’s what I would like to see.

And most of all, I wish to all of you golf nuts out there, the most fun yet in your golf game during 2010!

Let me share a story from my youth.  I was at a charity golf tournament  (I was a golf nut even before I started playing) with a ton of professional sports stars.  A lot of us kids were working to get autographs and along came Sandy Koufax.  Just as I was able to get close enough to get his autograph, some kids from the back of the pack pushed and a couple of us were shoved into Sandy.  Unfortunately, he turned on us with a snarl and made an ugly comment.

Now at the time, I just said well he’s the exception, but it did change my perception of him.  Over the years, then you hear the stories AND the admisssions of Mickey Mantle about his escapades.  And there were others.

The sad realization that I have come to is this.  Yes there were and are good guys out there in professional sports.  But, different from the memories many of us have,  back in “the day” I don’t think that there were so many more and that over the years it’s gone downhill.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the press and the media,for the most part, just didn’t report all the transgressions back then.  I believe that there was basically an unwritten code to “protect” our heroes.  I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, I just believe that is the way it was.

That day is long gone and if a celebrity or sports figure messes up, we will hear about it.  So should we be sad, should we feel misled from our youth, should we be mad that possibly a lot of those we idolized growing up were running around on their spouses, drinking, chasing women in every town etc?

Here is my bottom line.  I think that there are role models and that a few (unfortunately fewer than we thought) of our sports heroes, past and present, are figures that we can point out to our kids and encourage them to respect their character, not just their accomplishments.  But we also need to remember that we are all human, we all have weaknesses, and we all make mistakes.  And I think that we should also teach our kids not to judge and to have compassion for those that make mistakes.  We just have to remember that if we “create” heroes, they will probably let us down at some point.

Till next time all you golf nuts!

But what blew me away was this.  The PGA Points Award for Tiger was his tenth in his 13 years on the golf tour.  The Vardon was his eight and, oh yeah, he picked up the Arnold Palmer award for winning the money title for the ninth time.

I don’t see how you can call this anything but pure dominance.  I was young and didn’t follow golf when Arnold and Jack were in their heyday.  So maybe it was comparable and I’ll have to check some stats on it.  But I know that in my time of following golf, no one comes close to this.

Whether you like Tiger or not, you have to tip your hat to his success and his continued drive when he has already reached heights that most golfers never get to.

I, like a lot of golf fans, would like to see some of his competitors give Tiger some stiffer competition.  But at the same time, I stand in amazement at what he has done while realizing he’s not done yet.

Congrats Tiger, well done!

Well, I will be the first one to admit that this year has been the best one so far as far as keeping golfers interested to some degree.  But I’m still not convinced that golfers, that is the majority of all golfers, really care about this playoff format.  I know that for me personally, once the majors were finished, I didn’t start jumping up and down in anticipation of the FedEx playoffs.  Maybe I’m just too old school.

I guess, for me, I would say normally a lot of my opinion on whether the PGA has the right formula would depend on the outcome of The Tour Championship.  But I don’t think that this is a normal year.  Because I don’t think that Tiger is 100% back from his rehab.  If Tiger wins it, which I think that he will, to me it says that the format still isn’t right.   I mean if Tiger can skip the first tournament in Year 1 of this playoff and still win it.  And if he can win it in the only other year he participated and that is an off year for him, then the format is just not working.

Now granted, Tiger is probably the best to have ever played professional golf.  But that is part of my point.  With Tiger at the peak of his career, a format that gives him 4 tournaments of stroke play is, I believe, a gimme for him.

So, while improved, I still don’t think it’s the right approach.  And I am also not convinced that golfers are bought in.  Golfers I play with and talk to are, for the most part, not that interested in what happens with the final outcome.  And that speaks volumes to me.

Maybe I’m wrong.  And I’m looking for reasons to be wrong. Because ultimately, golf needs a spark right now.  But I’m not convinced that the FedEx Cup is that spark.  Your thoughts golf nuts?

I don’t think that you can say he’s in a slump considering that he’s got 5 wins and 10 top 10 finishes, is #1 on the FedEx Cup standings and the World Golf Rankings.   But he hasn’t looked consistently like Tiger in the three majors this year.  Especially missing the cut at the British Open.

So let’s talk about this.  Everyone has an opinion and you know that I will tell you mine.  I think that the bottom line is that this is a year still in rehab for Tiger.  His knee was reconstructed just 14 months ago.  We’ve just tended to buy into the “Superman” image that Tiger has built over the last several golf seasons.  So we expect him to just bounce back from this kind of surgery and be himself immediately.

Now I’m not trying to make excuses for Tiger, he doesn’t need help or excuses.  I just think that he is probably right where he should be in his comeback and light years ahead of where any other golfer would be.  It just doesn’t seem very Tiger-ish.  But how many pro goflfers, at 33, now married with two kids, that have had the level of success that he has, would be even close to back in shape and playing like he is at this point?  I think exactly ZERO.

So will he win this weekend?  If I were betting, I’d bet not.  But my prediction is that he will finish the year strong and win the first two majors of 2010.  Just give him a little time.  He’s still Tiger after all.

So you have the last group of the day, playing a great match that gets put on the clock.  Ok they were in fact behind.  But behind what?  For what reason would an official do this?  To be fair, treat everyone the same?  I’m not sure I see the logic in this.

There are those that I know would argue, and already have, that the rules must be the same for Tiger and for Padraig as it is for everyone else.  Like the golfers who were put on the clock earlier.  But my point is not about Tiger and Padraig.

If you’ve made it to the final group of a pro tournament and are playing down the stretch for the tournament, I think that a small amount of slack is in order, no matter who you are.  If you are Tiger or #125 on the money list, I think you’ve earned a little room for common sense on the rules at that point in a tournament.

I haven’t heard of one fan who, at the time was saying “Hey, let’s get these guys going!”. But I’ll bet that a large number of fans turned off that tournament after that 16th hole.  And everybody loses in that situation in my humble opinion.

I agree that the rules and the tradition in golf are a very important part of the game.  But I also think that plain, old common sense is also something that is a part of the game as well.  Agree, disagree, that’s ok.  But that’s just the way I feel about it.

Thanks for letting me vent golf nuts.

Even though I was enjoying watching both golfers go the title, my focus for this article is going to be on Watson.  Congratulations to Cink on a great victory, but I want to ramble a bit about Watson’s effort.

One thing I heard during the playoff was one of the announcers talking about how Cink had a distinct advantage over Watson because he was so excited to have made the playoff and Watson was down because he lost he tournament when he missed the putt for par on 18 that would have prevented the playoff.

I just hope that Tom was not in that frame of mind because he gave golfers all over the world a tremendously enjoyable weekend watching one of the classiest gentlemen in the game make a run at history.  And he played well enough to win.  Nothing to be ashamed of in his effort. And had Watson pulled off the improbable victory, he would have been the oldest golfer to win a major by 13 years!  And it came down to the last putt on the 72nd hole.

Now I admit that Watson looked tired as he started to make mistakes during the four hole playoff.  Who wouldn’t have?  But I didn’t care, I just kept pulling for him to pull a miracle out of his golf bag.  And lots of golfers that I have already heard from seemed to feel the same way. They were pulling for him to win it.

And even though he didn’t pull it off, in a way he did. What do I mean by that?  Well,  I can’t remember a situation like this where a former champion golfer Watson’s age or even close to it,  played four complete rounds in a major championship with a chance to win on the last putt.  Maybe one round or possibly part of two.  But the entire tournament?  WOW!

And I’m not trying to write about a moral victory here.  I’m not into that.  And while I haven’t seen an interview with Watson yet, my guess is that he isn’t either.  I just want to give him credit for what he achieved this weekend.

At 59 years old he competed with the best in the world, not for one round,  but for the entire tournament.  And with Tiger dominating so much of the golf news in recent years, this was a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to watch.

Tom, my hat’s off to you.  Thanks for all the memories over the years and for a great British Open this weekend.

Now, as I’ve said before, I’m not a Tiger crazy golf fan.  I tremendously respect his ability, but there are other golfers that are my favorites much more than Tiger.  But when you think about what he brings to the PGA Tour financially, he may in fact be undervalued, regardless of the huge amounts of money that he makes.

Look, for example, at the International Golf Tournament.  It was held in Denver and used to be on the PGA Tour schedule.  Tiger quit showing up for this tournament in 1999 and two years ago, boom, it’s not around any more.

Some have said that Tiger gets too much coverage.  And the media no doubt swarms to him like flies to honey.  But look at the absence of coverage while he was out with his knee surgery and you begin to understand the impact that he has on the sport.

Think about the growth in the size of the purses since he came on the tour.  All the golfers benefit from the money that has been poured into the sport.  Now I don’t have the numbers right here in front of me, but I’m willing to bet that they will bear me out.

After thinking about this, I believe that if you measure the financial impact that Tiger has had on the game of golf by looking at the actual dollars and subtract Tiger’s income directly from that number (even though the PGA doesn’t pay all that money directly to Tiger), the result would be a positive number.  And probably not a small one.  Which means that the impact he has had is huge.

So does this mean that he is undervalued in his sport?  Well I said that it’s a great question and I stand behind that.  But I can’t call a guy that makes the money that Tiger makes “undervalued”.  But I believe that he has been worth every penny to the sport.

With the Open at Bethpage, Mickelson is very likely to be a crowd favorite.  But Tiger has already won one US Open on this course and, after a disappointing Masters, I’m sure that he is committed to making a statement.  I am really looking forward to seeing how these two golf superstars perform this weekend.

Then there is always the underdog who battles the “big guys”.  Who could ever forget Rocco Mediate last year battling to the 91st hole with Tiger?  That is great stuff that the TV networks couldn’t script even if they tried.  And it’s one of the things I love about golf tournaments, that great surprise that shows up, and sometimes wins the Major by defeating one of the “superstars”.

Who might it be this year at the Open?  Brian Gay who just qualified with his win last week?  Don’t write him off as a one trick pony.  He has three wins since the beginning of 2008 and ranks eighth in putting right now.

Or what about Luke Donald?  Three top 15 finishes in his most recent four tournaments.  And when his game is cooking, the man can score.

A dark horse might be Zach Johnson.  Sitting atop the FedEx Cup standings right now, he is playing excellent golf in 2009.  Two wins, 12 cuts made out of 15 tournaments,  and 5 top 10 finishes.

With all that being said, I just can’t wait for the weekend and the Saturday and Sunday rounds of this year’s US Open.  See you in front of the TV golf nuts!

OK golfers, let’s look at this from two angles.  First did she say it or not?  The “it” is whether the ladies tour was going to allow the golfers to twitter during a round.  There were several articles that indicated that the tour had said that they would.   ESPN reported the following:

“I’d love it if players Twittered during the middle of a round,” Bivens said in an interview, according to Bloomberg News. “The new media is very important to the growth of golf and we view it as a positive, and a tool to be used.”

Bivens said she “encourages” players to update their Twitter or Facebook pages in the middle of a tournament.

So was she taken a little out of context?   Probably from what I see.  Then like any good politician, she reacted to the news and to the pushback from her Tour players and use the “out of context” approach.   Not that newsworthy to me, but it leads to the second angle on this.

Should it even be considered?  Here is Paula Creamer’s response (on Twitter by the way)  “I will not be twittering in my round. It should not happen in any sport. The players have already told the tour no way.”

And I personally agree with Paula.  I have already read about some NBA players Twittering at halftime of a game.  Are you kidding me?  Look I don’t blame any professional athlete for doing the endorsement or entertainment thing to grow their image or their income.  BUT NOT DURING THE EVENT ITSELF.  In my opinion (for whatever that’s worth),  if professional athletes do that, they are putting themselves and what they consider their entertainment value above their teammates and above the sport.  Dead wrong for them to do that,  I believe.

I’d love to hear what you think about it so take our poll below and we will publish the results in a few days.

Thanks!

The bottom line for me as a golf fan is that I would love to Daly on the Tour, if he cleans up his act off the golf course.  I’m not trying to be judgmental.   One of the things that I like about John is not just his bigger than life personality and style.  I think it’s awesome and believe that it appeals to a lot of people who think golf is just a game for snobby or rich people.  And I think that is good for the game.

But for John’s sake on a personal level and for the young kids who follow golf, I hope he can stay away from the addictions and problems they bring.  I don’t expect him to apologize for anything, he has lived with the consequences for what he has done.  But I’d love to see him play golf bigger than ever AND be able to say in his own way to young people  “Be your own person, but don’t make some of the same mistakes that I did.”

So back to the questions.  Yes I think that the PGA could use a John Daly back on tour.  And would a “serious” John Daly be as popular?  If I read the article correctly,  John isn’t saying he is going to be wearing beige slacks and white shirts all the time , be quiet and serious, and avoid Hooters.  He is saying that he wants to take his game more seriously and be a tough competitor.  And I believe if he does that, he will be more popular than ever.  America loves an underdog.

Furyk has always been on of my favorite golfers on the Tour.  He is a gentleman and just an around classy guy.  But he is still a fierce competitor and one of the best in the game.  But like a lot of golfers, he has been quiet on the circuit recently.

This weekend at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, he has been on his game.  Leading after the second round and tied for 3rd at the end of Saturday’s golf, he is in a position to win for the first time since his Canadian Open win in 2007.

You can check out the leaderboard at PGATOUR.com.   I’m pulling for Jim to win his second Memorial this weekend and to get back into the hunt for the FedEx Cup and money list.