- Michelle Wie is tied for 2nd halfway through the year's first LPGA event. I will eat my hat if she doesn't win a tournament this year (barring injury).
- Everyone should check out Uneven Fairways, a Golf Channel documentary about blacks trying to break into the pro game.

New dress code? Henrik Stenson at the CA Championship.

""I was only wearing two things when I made that shot," he said. "My jocks and my golf glove. Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes, hat, the lot was off.

Because of the mud I couldn't really afford to play in any of my clothes as they would have been a real mess down the last six or so holes, so I had no option. I don't think I scared too many spectators off the course, hopefully."

Now, that's what I call a "Golfer's Tan!"

My new favorite golfer.

WELCOME BACK TIGER!!!!! What a great finish!!! Camera bulbs flashing and a birdie sink to win on the 72nd hole. The legend grows....

I feel a little sorry for Sean O'Hair. It's tough playing with Tiger in the final group. And to cough up a 5-stroke lead.... waaaa.


Tiger is baaaack.

Are there other pictures of the golfer in underwear?


I would like to see him from the back too.

Glenn

Got to watch a fair bit of The Masters yesterday on TV. It's an interesting leaderboard after round 2, which I'm sure will look significantly different after the final round. Tiger's putting was off, and he was missing lots of short- and mid-range puts that he would normally make. It was fascinating to see some of the young guns in their teens and early 20's, along with the veterans, including Gary Player making his final Masters appearance--his 52nd!

Tiger has the curse of the great putter--a lot of close misses. Commentators love to play up all these close calls with the implication that he would "normally" make them, but in fact that's his M.O. (e.g. he missed a short putt at Bay Hill on the 70th hole that got lost in the shuffle after his 72nd hole heroics). You can't make everything. That said, he's going to need to stop burning the edges if he wants a chance to win. It goes to show how crazy people are to pick Tiger over the field (usually general sportswriters who know nothing about golf except their $2, six-beer Nassaus at the club).

I always look for the person who appears most comfortable over the ball. Angel Cabrera is swinging great as always but doesn't look as fluid as he did in the US Open win. Kenny Perry is my pick at this point, his previous history at Augusta aside. After Perry, I'm focusing on the group at -4: Anthony Kim, Sergio Garcia, Rory Sabbatini, and Jim Furyk, even though the latter seems like he can fall apart at any moment. Of course, it's still anyone's tournament.

What a great leaderborad. Shingo Katayama is the only oddball name in contention, and even he's not too surprising given his previous experience at the 2001 PGA. That said, I'd be surprised if anyone outside of the last two groups won, especially if they're not named Mickelson or Woods; leaders tend to hold on at the Masters. Kenny Perry is still my pick. Steve Stricker is a sentimental favorite and a good bet at 21-1 on Ladbrokes if you're into that sort of thing. All of the front-runners have putting issues, though, so it's going to be a nail-biter at least through the 15th hole no matter what happens.

Well I don't know if he can keep it up but Phil Mickelson has gone -5 on the first seven holes of the final round to get to within 2 strokes of the lead. Still a way to go but it would be an amzing comeback.

Oh and can someone please beat the snot out of these a-holes/d-bags who yell out "Get in the hole" everytime somebody hits the ball?

What a bizarre final day so far. (I'm watching about 30 minutes tape-delayed.) The air has been sucked out of the last few groups because of Tiger and Phil--when the cameras are on anyone else, the gallery has the distinct feeling of a Reno Tahoe Open, not a Masters. Correspondingly, CBS' coverage is the Tiger and Phil Show with occasional cameos by, you know, the tournament leaders. Cabrera, Campbell, and Perry are making pars and hanging tough, but we aren't seeing any of it. I understand why they do this but come on. Show us the golf, not the celebrities.

Sorry but Tiger and Phil gave us 16 holes of great golf. The drama was let out when they both sucked on 17 and 18, but Phil started off playing some amazing tennis. He only edged Tiger by one, but will be kicking himself having been at -11 at one point, and missing close eagle and birdie shots. Finding the water at 12 did him in. Tiger just didn't have enough this week. Some good shots and them some bad shots...too inconsistent. Even the commentators said that the crowds for the final pairing weren't all that excited. Tiger and Phil are at the top of the game so its to be expected. Perry CHOKED...plain and simple. Played solid and steady through 16 holes with a 2 shot lead going into the final two holes. Bogeys both and ends up in a 3 way playoff. Campbell's par putt on the first playoff hole was seemingly nerves. No way he shouldn't have done anything other than sink that putt.

BUT WOOOO HOOOOO...VAMOS ANGEL!!!!!! If not Tiger I said I wanted Angel to win.

...well that's one perspective to take, I suppose.

I'm with Terp....Phil was playing out of his mind on the front nine to surge towards the top. And Tiger, well...the reality is that if he's in the top twenty they'll show him, and being paired with Phil made it that much more compelling.

In the end, Phil choked on the back side plunking one in the drink and missing two very short putts that would have put him up at the top. He doesn't do those things and we're talking all about Phil at days end.

Meanwhile the leaders were, at very best not putting on that kind of performance. Perry played mistake free if not spectacular golf on the front side and Cabrera was hideous at times.

Perry had this thing in the bag up two with two holes to go, he flat out left the door open for the others. And it was amazing how Cabrera recovered on that first playoff hole to force a second. I never thought he'd be the one with the green jacket at day's end.

(All being said, I was watching with family and we were chuckling a bit about this "all Phil and Tiger, all the time mentality that CBS seemed to have. It did feel like that somewhat, but what could you do...Phil was crazy on the front nine)

I don't have a problem with covering a guy who shot 30 on the front, especially when it put him squarely in contention and he had won the Masters twice before. I do have a problem with the unbroken, valedictory-style camera shot of Phil's group walking up the entire length of the 16th hole when the LEADERS are still on the course. At one point Jim Nantz said something along the lines of, "you would almost forget about Chad Campbell's chip-in on the 3rd hole!" Well duh, I wonder why that is? Exciting things were going on in the last two groups but the coverage didn't reflect that. Of course it's going to seem boring when players make drive-by appearances with little explanation half a second before a shot is taken.

I feel bad for Kenny Perry but he really stepped in it. You could see the deflation after his chip on the first playoff hole didn't go in--he seemed to be saying to himself, that was my opportunity. As with Greg Norman on the 15th in 1996, don't put all your eggs in that basket. Just because you missed a chip-in doesn't mean it's over (of course, Norman was probably doomed either way). In some sense this is karma for Argentina losing a Masters champion to a scorecard error four decades ago. Angel Cabrera slammed his 2nd shot into a tree on the 73rd hole and still won the tournament! Amazing.

BTW I laughed my ass off seeing Tiger hit the tree on 18. That looks like something I would do, and it's not very often that you see two world-class golfers clunk it on the same hole on the same day. As for choking, which seems to be an obsession on this board, 17 and 18 were quite the tough holes for the main contenders. Tiger bogeyed both (I wonder why mdterp didn't label this a choke while reveling in denigrating Perry and Campbell?), Phil bogeyed 18, Perry bogeyed both, Campbell bogeyed 18 in the playoff. Then again, when you're in contention on the last hole of the Masters, any hole would seem difficult.

While I enjoyed Tiger and Phil's surge in the final round (only to be let down on 17 and 18), hello CBS, was there anybody else in the tournament? Shingo Katayama, who came in fourth (ahead of Phil and Tiger), was barely even seen.

I had been watching and thought Perry was in cruise control (Cabrera looked uneasy) with a 2-stroke lead; then I had to leave my aunt's place (Easter leftovers) and by the time I got home Cabrera was finishing off his playoff win. WTF?! Congrats to Angel Cabrera!

Tiger = ratings. Tiger and Phil roraring back from 6 or 7 shots back = RATINGS. I do wonder if CBS would have stuck to this strategy if Tiger had played par golf all day. But the fact is they were playing the best golf of the day while the leaders and others ahead on the leaderboard and behind them on the course were either scoring pars or flailing.

I was really rooting for Perry once Phil fell off. A career journeyman who would have been the oldest major champ ever would have been a terrific story. But Phil and Tiger's last two holes as well as the playoff were painful to watch so the whole thing ended on a bit of a sour note after some truly amazing golf earlier in the day. It's too bad it couldn't have ended on that kind of high note.

Mdterp didn't label it a choke because Tiger had been playing inconsistently throughout the tournament. Tiger wasn't the one playing steady ball all day, bogey free until getting to the 17th and 18th holes. Tiger didn't have a 2 stroke lead with 2 holes left to play. Perry and Campbell didn't start the day 7 shots back (even though Tiger and Phil both could've been in that playoff in the least had their concentration and putting strokes been better). So thats why mdterp didn't label it a choke.

Actually, Tiger WAS bogey-free until getting to the 17th and 18th holes. Through 16 holes, he was five under par with five birdies. You are right about him not having a two-stroke lead with two left to play, but that doesn't mean he didn't collapse at the finish. When a bogey-bogey finish happens to anyone else, it's called a choke. When it happens to Tiger, people start trotting out the excuses.

That is correct. He was bogey free until the 17th and 18th, but was playing a bit over the place throughout the tournament. And again, he didn't have a two stroke lead going into the last two holes. He could never get anything going consistently in any of the rounds. Tiger usually needs to make his move the first couple of days, and his first two days were just average. Tiger has an issue with not being able to come from behind to win a major. Thats his deal. But tell me a time Tiger Woods had a 2 stroke lead at a major on day 4 and ended up in a damn playoff, and then go on to lose? There's a BIG difference between pushing to come from behind to post a good score and screw up as opposed to having clear control until the final two holes. Perry let the pressure get to him. Tiger and Phil mucked it up at the end but I don't consider that a choke. Tiger was trying to get a couple more birdies to post to give himself a chance, but his tee shots on 17 and 18 messed it up for him. All Perry needed to do was par and par (hell he could've bogey'd one and par'd the other) and he would've been wearing a green jacket.

I haven't gotten to watch any of the U.S. Open until today, so no outright predictions. But this is a really cool leaderboard with Ricky Barnes, Lucas Glover, and Hunter Mahan 1-2-3 at the moment. I would be shocked if they finish 1-2-3 in any combination, but should one of them win, he would be the first player in the post-Tiger generation to win a major. (Ross Fisher was also born in the '80s.) Barnes has previous experience winning a U.S. Amateur, but I'm not sure whether that will be as useful as Mahan's and Glover's previous Tour wins. He also has one of the ugliest swings on Tour...not exactly confidence-inspiring.

Holy crap, I just got chills from David Duval's third birdie in a row. I don't really root for any particular person or team in any sport but have always liked Duval a lot. He has a great, unique swing and f**k-you aloof attitude that golf journalists never appreciated--a great counterweight to Tiger's ridiculous preening and Mickelson's fake everyman shtick. He has been absolutely nowhere for almost a decade and it would be the story of the past few years if he pulls it off.

I thought Mahan had put himself in a really good spot but that unlucky flagstick hit killed his chances. He'll have more.

Looks like Glover is going to pull it off. Super talented, a star college player from the South, more than a little boring, and hits it a mile--he's emblematic of his generation of Tour players, and he won't be the only one to win a major.

Congratulations to Glover.....ANYONE but Mickelson as far as I'm concerned. I wish his wife a full recovery but I just can't stand the guy. That Ricky Barnes is handsome. Loved the way his pecs were lookin through that gray shirt. Seems to have a really nice body overall. Nice to see Duval play so well. I was pulling for him after Tiger was out of it.

Watched the last few holes of the final round. Good to see David Duval come back (has he put on the pounds?). I also noticed Rickey Barnes' pecs (must be a gay thing ). I, too, was cheering against Mickelson. Good on Lucas Glover in the win.

Here's a Ricky Barnes photo that you might enjoy.

Ricky Barnes photo

I have to think the only thing more surprising than Tiger Woods missing the cut at the British Open (only the second cut he's missed at a Major) would be 59 year old Tom Watson atop the leaderboard at -2! How cool would it be if he won the whole thing!

Amazing performance by Watson. I watching right now and he's still in the lead early in round 3.

My head is screaming that Watson has absolutely ZERO chance of winning with so many top players in their prime around him (Westwood, Goosen, Ross Fisher is swinging great, Jimenez always seems to be a factor, Furyk, Cink). His putting has been awful down the stretch in recent senior majors and one would expect that to continue. But I can't help but envision a cold, 30-mph windy day tomorrow during which all the players are gagging on 6-footers because they can't stand up straight.

It's not unprecedented for senior players to make waves in majors; Jack Nicklaus finished t-6th at age 58 in the 1998 Masters. It's unprecedented for them actually to win.

Edit.... watching the Golf Channel at the moment. The idea of Watson winning is intoxicating. When you see him swing, the action is obviously still there. His swing is like silk. It makes you wonder how 50+ people might fare in other sports taking away their most brutal physical aspects--say, a 50-year-old quarterback who can still throw the ball but can't take a sack. Even in less demanding games like pool or bowling, you don't see people this old compete at such a high level. It speaks both to the talent of Nicklaus in '98, Norman last year, and Watson this year as well as the skills required to succeed in tournament golf. Pure strength is helpful, but there are lots of ways to get the ball in the hole, especially in poor conditions.

Tom!!!! Been his issue so many times. Dammit!!!! My boyfriend said that stroke wasn't even good enough to qualify as terrible. I gave him a little smack for that one. The pressure eats up so many guys. All in all its been kind of a terrible ending. Guys just falling apart at the end. Hate to see that in a major. Its like who will step it up and do it. Ugh!! Not so sure Tom can recover from that.

He did look like a weekend golfer with that missed putt. He did not hit the ball with confidence, and it didn't have a chance. Oh, well. Four hole playoff with Stewart Cink to begin shortly...

Its over!! Congrats to Cink but what a disappointing end. You don't have a heart if you weren't rooting for old Tom!!

Sad ending for Watson. One stroke away from victory. Then he fell apart in the playoff.

Terrific win for Stewart Cink. He finished like a pro.

While watching him embrace his family after finishing, I was thinking: When are we going to see an openly gay golf pro with his husband waiting at the side of the green for him to finish victorious?

How refreshing to hear stony silence from the Turnberry crowds after Stewart Cink credited God for helping him withstand the pressure of links golf. I guess they realize the corollary of believing God was on your side is believing God wasn't on Tom Watson's side.

What an ultimately deflating but still thrilling tournament. It really was a fantasyland for 71 holes -- rather, 71 holes, a tee shot, and a perfectly struck 8-iron. Once the ball scurried over the green you knew exactly what was going to happen. Lee Westwood has to be nearly as gutted as Watson after swinging the lights out and throwing away another chance at a major playoff. He has come back from the abyss and needs to take advantage of these opportunities while he still has the chance.

The thing about golf is that no player can perform past his own expectations for an entire tournament. There are no quick reactions, no reflex movements to fall back on. The player has 5 minutes to mull over every shot and has to will himself to perform while the elements, competitors, and your own head work against you. The closer you get to the sun, the harder it is to keep things there, and it gets exponentially harder as the holes tick up to 72. Watson knew that he wasn't supposed to be there and managed to keep that feeling in check for a long, long time. It was an amazing thing to see.

PGA turning into a duel of wills. Y.E. Yang takes a one stroke lead on Tiger thanks to a chip in on 14.

===========

Stunning victory for Y.E. Yang at the PGA Championship.

Tiger was 14 for 14 when leading a major after 54 holes.

Yang finishes -8. Woods -5.

I said to my boyfriend yesterday that I felt this may be the major that Tiger loses after having the 54 hole lead, except I thought it would be to Harrington. Tiger played the first two rounds well but really missed a chance to stretch the lead yesterday. But wow...hats off to Y.E. Yang. Tiger is my fave and the record of 14 for 14 after 54 holes in a major would've eventually fallen. I'm glad that it was to someone who kept calm under pressure and actually stepped up to Tiger hole for hole. Tiger's putting did him in today. Like he said...he had a relatively good day driving and with his irons, but those putts would not drop. But thats what happens sometimes. It just happened that this time it happened in the last round of a major. He'll be fine. He didn't choke. If anything this may reinvigorate him. But Y.E.'s win was great for the sport...a Cinderella story. For Tiger, a majorless year is basically a failure, but he's come off the knee surgery and shown that he's still the best. But not today. 101 takes down #1. It was great to watch. The chip for eagle by Y.E. and that great shot on the 18th that led to birdie. Unlike so many others who have folded, the guy stood his ground and walked away the victor. Can't have anything but respect for that.


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Discussion of Tiger Woods' personal life has been moved to Tiger Woods: In the Rough

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