Canadian Open

El Nino

Date Written: July 27, 2009

That's me under the umbrella at The Canadian, trying desperately to stay dry. Just kidding. Doesn't it seem like there's been a lot of rain-delayed events this year on tour? Must be El Nino. I'm gonna find my old wet suit and wear it next weekend while I watch The Buick. Given the Toronto deluge, I suppose the organizers were glad to actually finish their country's championship, rue another Mike Weir finish and finally declare a winner: the little Aussie, Nathan Green.

The Goose handed Green the win with two wobbly shoves from six and nine feet in overtime. Doug B. must have felt like a yo-yo. Dougie was alone having Goose-it to win. I imagined Doug jumping up and down as his horse eagled the par five 18th to get into a playoff. Then I imagined poor Dougie splayed-out, face-down, slamming his fist into his shag carpet declaiming his lost first place dough. All in all though, a profitable week for Doug and Charlie Tuna (Kim) who jumped up a few spots in the pool...perhaps close enough where another win would put either of them in the hunt for serious fantasy pool dough.

Random player notes:

Graham DeLaet, who had a successful college career at Boise State, made the cut in his home country's championship and won some change. Read more:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/golf/story/842470.html

Mark Calcevecchia set a PGA Tour record, firing nine straight birdies in round 2. Click on the link below for a hole-by-hole breakdown of his feat:

http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tournaments/r032/07/25/calc_birdie_chart/index.html

Tiger's apparently still driving his Buick Enclave and has deigned to appear this week. He must like the track or his Buick or the folks at GM who paid him a fortune for his endorsement. I heard the rumor that GM is not renewing it's sponsorship for this tournament in Michigan. Does that mean that GM is bailing on golf? Oh well, just another corporate sponsor going "south" in this tough economy. First Wachovia, then Stanford Financial...Chrysler??? Now Buick? In a related mess, the head of the LPGA, Carolyn Bivens, stepped down from her job because of a personality conflict AND the loss of 7 host sponsors. Click below for more sponsorship rumor:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090728/SPORTS15/907280310/1063/Tom-Pernice-Jr.-backs-off--nothing-official-on-Buick-Open-s-status

A bunch of "NO-SHOWS" at The Buick. I've got mixed feelings because three of the four top money leaders in our funky pool, including me, picked Bubba to win and he's a No Show. Good/bad?

Mitch Albom, noted sports columnist and author ("Tuesday's with Morrie") spoke for me (I'm paraphrasing here) when he said that he's still wishing that Tom Watson could go back in time and take a "mully" on his second shot on the 72nd hole at The Open. Right on, Mitch.

And lastly, if you have some time on your hands and want to read a more comprehensive and funny "take" on our boy, Tommy Watson at The British, click on: http://www.forerightbob.com/ I just finished Bob Smiley's, "Follow The Roar" and recommend it to anyone who loves a good golf book. I still can't imagine the concept of following Tiger on every hole for an entire (half) season.