Northern Trust Open

Date Written: February 24, 2009

Who Are These Guys?

If you can name the golfer's in this picture, you've got to be nearly as old as I am...68.
My answers/guesses are given below.

NEWS BULLETIN! Riviera, formerly known as "Hogan's Alley," has been renamed...it's now known as "Mickelson's Mile." If not for a slip up a couple of years ago on the last hole, "Lefty" would have won the last THREE L.A. Opens. It don't matter that his driver misbehaves. Just put it upside down in your bag, whip out your three metal, keep it in play, and make sure you sink the pressure putts. Voila! Victory!

In the traveling soap opera that is tour golf, there was a story that cried out like the tabloids this week. Sure, Freddy up and shanked one in the trees on eighteen. But how about his estranged wife passing away earlier in the week? What a shock. I was surprised he played at all. To quote an ESPN article:

Couples learned earlier in the week that his estranged wife, Thais Baker, died Tuesday of breast cancer. They never divorced after splitting up nearly four years ago, and Couples said he is not welcome in their home in Santa Barbara. 'She was a nice person,' he said. 'She did everything she could to make it another month.'

If one were to take each sentence in the paragraph above and try and explain what was going on in their relationship, one would have to guess that so much was unsaid.

John Manocheo, Doc 'N Jill and Glenn Marzion made a nice move up the pool standings by their astute, T-3, K.J. Choi pick in the LA Open. Five others added some significant dough with their T-6 for recent, wrist re-habbed, Luke Donald. Jan Jones crawled over Tobacco Road back into first place with a T-6 pick of "Crasher" Holmes.

Did you notice on the other side of the world (Perth, Australia), that Danny Lee, the reigning US Amateur Champ, won the professional "Johnny Walker Classic" on the European Tour. Lee's got an invitation to the Masters and then he's turning pro. Move over Ryo and Rory. Click on the link below to read more about Danny Lee:

http://www.pgatour.com/2009/r/02/22/johnnie.walker.ap/index.html

Finally, for anyone who's been on an intergalactic trip over the last week, Tiger announced that he will return to competition in the WGC Match Play. Get your TIVO'S oiled up and pre-set for Wednesday when he faces Brendan Jones in a first round match. From Mike McAllister, Managing Editor of PGATOUR.COM:
There's the knee. There's the rust from his layoff. There's the unpredictability of match play. All are ways that Tiger could lose. But he wouldn't come back if he didn't think he could win. Time for another storybook finish.

It'll be fun to see if Tiger's fit enough and see if he's altered his overwhelmingly physical swing to match the stress on his left leg.

Answer to who's in the picture above: Left to right: Dean Martin, Jackie Burke, Ben Hogan, Jerry Lewis, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Julius Boros. Am I right or wrong?

A T & T

A Win is a Win

Date Written: February 16, 2009
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Dustin Johnson has won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am without having to hit a shot over the last two days when rain washed out the final round Monday.

Johnson built a four-shot lead Saturday with a 67 at Poppy Hills. The final round was suspended Sunday because of wind and rain, and officials called the tournament when they found greens under water and a hopeless forecast.

The 24-year-old Johnson joins Anthony Kim as the only players under 25 with two PGA Tour victories. This one comes at a good time, for he moves into the top 50 in the world and qualifies for the Accenture Match Play Championship next week, along with the first two majors.

Yeah...and Mother Nature wrecked my plans for some good Monday television. Damn!

Tobacco Road takes a giant leap into first place in the pool with a big check garnered by his astute pick of the "Little Lefty," Mike Weir. A ton of you blew your V.J. bullet for the year with an MC here. How were you to know that the man voted most diligent range-rat of all time, is starting to feel the effects of working too hard? First Tiger, now V.J...laid low by moving parts that are wearing out. It's kind of comforting, (in a sick way) to know that they are mortal...just like us fellow alumni of Titanium U.

A funny "Dear Abby" forward from fellow pool player, John Manocheo:

Dear Abby: I have never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The usual signs: phone rings, I answer, the caller hangs up.

My wife has been going out with 'the girls' a lot recently although when I ask their names she always says, just some friends from work, you don't know them. I try to stay awake and look out for her when she comes home, but I usually fall asleep. Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think deep down I just did not want to know the truth.

Last night she went out again and I decided to finally check on her. Around midnight, I hid in the garage behind my golf clubs so I could get a good view when she arrived home from her night out with 'the girls.' When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse, which was open, and she then proceeded to take her panties out of her purse and slipped them back on.

It was at that moment, crouching behind my golf clubs, that I noticed a hairline crack where the grip meets the graphite shaft on my 3-wood.

Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the pro shop where I bought it?

Finally, in my dreams, before I go on the waiting list at the vast links course in the sky, I want to play Pebble just one time...for free, of course.

Buick Invitational

Uh Oh

Date Written: February 9, 2009

One could make the case that either John Rollins' wheels fell off down the stretch at the Buick Invitational or that Nick Watney's late charge won the day. Watney, who never led until the 72nd hole, trailed Rollins by five shots. He trailed by four shots with 11 holes to play and by three with five holes left. Rollins' collapse surely wasn't a "Van de Velde," but the juxtaposition of the two players made it look eerily similar.

I can't summarize the results from the Buick Invitational any better than the Associated Press (AP), so I'll just quote 'em below:

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Nick Watney appeared to be along for the ride Sunday until making two birdies over the final three holes to take advantage of a late collapse by John Rollins and win the Buick Invitational.
Watney knocked in a 40-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 16th, then completed his five-shot rally with a two-putt birdie on the 18th hole to close with a 4-under 68 for his second career victory, earning a trip to the Masters.
Rollins let this one get away.
He had a three-shot lead with five holes to play until making a bogey with a poor chip on the 14th, another bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker on the 16th, and failing to hit the green on the par-5 18th, leading to a par. He closed with a 74.

Best finish of the week in our trusty pool was posted by The Donald who picked Hunter Mahan (T-11). Mahan was 2 shots better than a pack of us who thought Ryuchi Imada (T-19) was ready to play back to last year's 2nd place finish. Doc 'N Jill and Charlie Tuna blew their Mickelson bullet on his home course where he's won three times. Lefty couldn't find his game. I saw him 4-whack on one hole Sunday. He never does that. Watney, by the way, never three-putted during the week.

No-Show-of-the-Week Award goes to Stewart Cink who disappointed seven pool players by skipping the event. Stewie ain't no dummy. He's also skipping this weeks AT&T which now features such stellar-less players such as, John Ellis, Zach Miller, Joel Sjoholm, Jason Schmuhl (not exactly household names) and a bunch of amateur hackers with fat wallets. Can you tell I don't like this part of the season? I just can't wait for the PGA caravan to stop at the oasis called, "Riviera" next week, where men are men and the duffers are relegated to the gallery where they truly belong.

Fashion follow-up: Last week's column featured a spiel about Ryan Moore's fashion choices. According to an article on the PGA Tour website, those fashion choices are his by design. Right now, he doesn't have or want any endorsement deals for equipment and clothing. If this is truly the case, he is not only an iconoclast but a renaissance man. It's a pleasure watching someone who is not a typical, walking corporate billboard. You can read Moore (no pun intended) about the logo-less man by holding your control button and clicking on the PGA Tour link below:

http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tournaments/r003/01/30/moore.feature/index.html?eref=sitesearch

Charlie Woods was bornded on Sunday. Now that Watney's in-the-chips, do you think he ought to send Charlie a giant birthday present cuz his dad stayed home?

Last thought: I wonder if "Charlie" Woods was named for "Charlie" Sifford?

Final last thought: Eight of youse are pick'n Veej this week. Buenos Suerte!

FBR Open

Fashion, Foolery or Function

Date Written: February 2, 2009

Are you old enough to remember metal spikes on your golf shoes? The Golf Course Superintendents of America (GCSAA) must be howling this week. For years, they lobbied the world to commit to dippy "Softspikes," making the agronomical argument that greens would heal faster by wearing these plastic thingy's (which are forever falling off my golf shoes).

Here now comes their new "fave," Ryan Moore. Moore was spotted playing in VAN'S! WHAT? You all remember those thick-soled, funky, canvas skateboard shoes that were popular in the '70's? There's NOT a "cleat" on 'em. I wonder what Ryan's thinkin? They certainly can't afford him traction. Then again, maybe that's the point. Maybe Moore thinks that slicked-soled shoes will keep him swinging "within his feet;" a premise fostered eons ago by Sam Snead who sometimes played barefoot to re-establish his balance. Are we ready for this fashion/comfort/functional change?

As far as the rest of Moore's fashion choices, David Feherty likened his image to a "thrift store" customer. Starting from the top: A painter's hat, rumpled button shirt, a vest (Huh?), a skinny tie (Huh, Huh?) and Van's. Moore's dress code now matches his swing which he invented during his intergalactic travels between Earth and Mars.

The scoreboard at the FBR looked, for awhile, like a Nationwide Tour event. The eventual winner was wily, 48 year-old veteran, Kenny Perry, who still hits it (left-to-right, mostly) as far as the youngsters. Twenty of us pool players didn't survive the cut. Eleven of us idiots picked the Kentucky homerun hitter, J.B. Holmes, to repeat. He started out fine...5 under for his first nine holes, then proceeded to go 10-over in his next 27 to totally miss the cut by five. So much for our collective wisdom. He was in good company though. The "Homie," Arizona State grad, Philly M., missed the cut too, as did Stuart (The Rotten) Appleby. Amazingly, that left only 3 pool players who made the cut and had a chance to add to their earnings. Best finish goes to newcomer, Charlie Tuna, with his astute selection of Kevin (Sha Na) Na who picked up a chunk of dough as he missed the playoff by one dinky shot. Nice pick Charlie. In hindsight (of course), Charlie's no dummy. The TPC in Scottsdale obviously suits Sha Na Na. He has finished second, third and fourth here over the last five years. "I'm going to win here someday,'' Na said, jaw out. "Next year. I'm going to win here multiple times when my career is over, that's for sure.''

Onward to the "Wood-less" Torrey Pines/Buick. Tiger's won't be at his favorite venue. He's won five of the past six Buick Invitationals. He won last year's event by eight shots and, of course, followed it up later in the year with his historic, one-legged, playoff win over Rocco in the US Open. Seven of youse thought Stewart Cink was going to show up this week. You forgot to check with either his wife, his caddie or his bookie.

WalterGolf