The 2011 European Tour Season May Never End

You know how golf claims to have an offseason, but really doesn't? Yeah, well, the European Tour is actually deleting the THOUGHT of having an offseason, and just showing everyone that golf is a year-round sport, and we should all accept as such.

Why? Because the European Tour is going to have 50 tournaments next season. That's leaves only two weeks for trips to the Bahamas!

The tour begins the 2011 season this December (Note: yes, that is 2010, but I guess this is like buying a 2012 Escalade this year, or something.) in South Africa, and then will end next December, in actual 2011.

I guess it makes sense why all these Europeans are planning on sticking to their tour next season. The damn thing has nearly as many tournaments as full-time members!

Honestly, if you can't make a million bucks in 50 tournaments over there, you don't deserve to play this game for a living. Yep, that's a challenge. Give me an exemption and see what happens.

This Seems ... Suspicious

You ever watch a television show and SWEAR you've heard the story before? Yeah, check out "Law and Order: Los Angeles." (Ed. Note: How many Law and Orders are there? Honestly, we need one for every city in the continental United States? If we don't get a Law and Order: El Paso soon, I'm gonna be pissed.)

Martin Kaymer Is a Good Boyfriend

Take that, Tiger Woods! You spend 2009 Thanksgiving ruining your marriage, and Kaymer, just 25, is going to spend his skipping your golf tournament so he can be his girlfriend's beck and call? Your move, Woods.

Yep, Kaymer decided to pull out of the Chevron World Challenge so he could carry the golf bag for his girlfriend, Allison Micheletti. The American golfer is attempting to get through Ladies European Tour Pre-Qualifying, and Kaymer, the third ranked golfer in the world and PGA Championship winner, will be lugging her bag for her.

A first round 89 wasn't exactly what Micheletti was hoping for, but has it together in her second round, probably thanks to Kaymer being around and encouraging her.

You have to love stories like this. Kaymer is only 25, a millionaire a few times over, and already realizes that no matter what's going on, he will always need to put the lady first.

So, yes, Kaymer wins for boyfriend of the week. If you have any other nominations, like an astronaut borrowing a rocket to show his girlfriend the stars up close, we'd love to hear it.

h/t Golf365.com

Ian Poulter Is $400k Poorer After Rules Infraction

Thanksgiving was this week, but don't expect Ian Poulter to be thanking the Rules of Golf *carnhorn*.

The Englishman who we tend to poke fun at over in these parts was in a playoff at the Dubai World Championship, when he encountered one of the dumber rules in golf, not to be confused with the thousand other dumb rules of golf.

Poulter accidentally dropped his ball out of his hand in a playoff against Robert Karlsson, hitting his ball mark and forcing it to flip over, incurring a one-shot penalty and essentially locking up the playoff for the Swede.

The rule is Rule 20-1/15, and it says, "Any accidental movement of the ball marker which occurs before or after the specific act of marking, including as a result of dropping the ball, regardless of the height from which it was dropped ... results in the player incurring a one stroke penalty."

So, yeah, Poulter dropped his ball, not doing anything to really give himself an advantage, but the rules of golf were written by people that kick dogs and spit on grandparents, so yeah, that's it.

I am not the biggest Poults fan, but this does suck for him. Was he probably going to lose the playoff with Karlsson in tight for a birdie? Yeah, percentages would have been in his favor. Is something missing a four-foot birdie putt in a playoff that insane? Nope, just ask Tim Clark.

The blunder cost Ian $400,000, which sounds horrible to you and I, but the guy still won $833,000, so it isn't like I'm setting up a PayPal account in his name for us to donate into. Still, the rules of golf need a makeover, as I've said 10,000 times in my life.

Also, what better way to wrap up 2010 than to have the final tournament of the season that means anything to end with a rules infraction?

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Camilo Villegas' Caddie Is Good At Golf

We all have a friend or two like Brett Waldman. Okay, maybe not exactly like Waldman, a guy who caddies for Camilo Villegas, and also has made it through pre-qualifying, first and second stage of PGA Tour Q-School, making him one of only nine guys to go through all three of those stages to make it to the December 1 final stage. But we all have that friend that can go out, pick up a golf club after not swinging it for a decade, and shoot a 72.

Waldman did just that. His story is pretty incredible, but after getting through pre-qualifying after just one practice round, and practicing to get himself through first stage, the caddie had to fly to China to work with Villegas. After that, he came home and played second stage just 18 hours after he landed from the HSBC Champions.

Ready for a great quote by Phil Mickelson's caddie, Jim Mackay?

"When I come back from China, I can't tie my shoes for a week," said Jim "Bones" Mackay, who works for Phil Mickelson. "And this guy makes it through the second stage of Q-school. Unbelievable."

Waldman has received a ton of support from his fellow loopers on tour. Lance Bennett, caddie for Matt Kuchar, has been on his bag for both stages, and said, "Some of these guys who do it for a living, they play and practice all year through. He picks his clubs up for one month and gets to the final stage."

Tiger Woods' caddie Steve Williams heard of Waldman's play in the second stage and sent him encourage text messages after each round. Three other high profile caddies were all in the gallery of the final round of second stage to root Waldman on. Even Villegas, who might be out an employee come January if Waldman continues to play well, has been encouraging, telling him he must play if he qualifies high enough at the final stage.

Also, it's just one of those stories that proves the kind of talent that you don't hear about. I remember an incredible quote from Craig Stadler years back that went like this:

"You see the guy next to you? And the guy next to him? Everyone of them, All-Americans. There's an NCAA Champion, a U.S. Amateur champion, a British Open champion -- hell, some of these caddies were All-Americans. So just so you know, nobody here gives a damn if you're an All-American, or if you even to college at all. All anybody here here wants to know ... can you play stick?"

Waldman can play stick, and hopefully, he will keep it up at third stage, and continue a dream run that started way back at pre-qualifying, with every hack that thinks he's good enough to be a pro. Waldman obviously is, and if he can keep it together for six rounds in December, it might be him that's looking for a worker to carry his bag next season.

So, Old Guys Don't Love Remote Control Cars?

One of the best parts of being teamed up with Busbee at Yahoo! is how funny some of the stuff that lands in his inbox is. Including this video, of some kids (PUNKS!) messing with some old guys on a golf course (GET OFF MY LAWN!).

Basically, two guys are wanting to mess with some older fellas, so they got a remote-controlled car to drive out on the green.

What happened next is very "Jackass"-y.

NSFW audio, via Devil Ball ...



I have watched this thing like five times and have laughed every time. I love that the kids are so pissed, I love that the old guy took his club to it, I love that they almost went to blows, and I love that the old guy ran after them the whole time. Love is in the air, indeed!

Sean Foley Makes a Great Point About Tiger

Tiger Woods changes swing coaches a lot (a lot a lot ... a lot), and his recent move to Sean Foley raised a few eyebrows (must ... resist ... stack and tilt ... joke).

But it seems that Foley is a rather intelligent fellow. He was asked about Tiger in a recent interview on PGATour.com, and made some compelling points, but this one might have been the smartest of his chat.

Making the swing I want him to make isn't that difficult for him, it's just that there's always going to be traces of every shot he's ever hit.

I mean, how true is that? Like how some golfers just can't shake certain golf swings at their home course that they face twice a week, Tiger will be compared to all of his golf shots over his career. When he's standing over a shot at Augusta National, we will get replays of his past success. When he's overlooking the 17th tee at Pebble Beach, the networks will replay his storm through the course in 2000.

All of that is true, but if Foley understands that (which apparently he does), it won't be nearly as hard to just do what he does and not worry about the other stuff.

Like a new relationship, if the girl is always comparing herself to your ex-lover, it'll never work, but if she's comfortable in herself, life can move on, and you can all be happy.

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PGA Tour Q-School Wrap

So, I wrote three stories over the weekend about the second stage of PGA Tour Q-School.

Here they are ...

-- Ty Tryon played well enough to make it to the third stage, trying to channel his inner-2001. [Devil Ball]

-- Erik Compton, on his third heart, also made it to third stage with some really impressive play. [Devil Ball]

-- Here is the good, bad and downright ugly from Q-School. Seriously, check out some of the bad stories. A guy shot an 82 to miss by a shot! [Devil Ball]

That's all!

The Tiger Woods PR Push Isn't Going So Well

Last week, Tiger Woods and TEAM Tiger Woods decided that the most famous golfer on the planet should start acting less machine, more human. They got him on a popular radio show to chat for 30 minutes. They forced him to start Tweetin. They made him write a piece for Newsweek.

All of these things were supposed to show the world that, "Dammit, Tiger Woods is a real man and he's a great dude and we should all love him!"

So, how has that worked out so far?

"People perceive him to be a complete fraud," said Ronn Torossian, president of 5W Public Relations in New York. "Making a mistake in your personal life is one thing, but being seen as a complete insincere and fraudulent person is quite another."

"The single worst thing that ever could happen to Tiger Woods may be happening," said Michael Kempner, president of MWW Group public relations in East Rutherford, N.J. "He has gone from being immortal to being extraordinarily mortal."

Listen, I have always had a respect for Tiger as a golfer, but I never one thought he was interesting at all. He won tournaments at a phenomenal rate and that was sweet. He took down major championships like they were Hooters Tour events. He fist-pumped and we all were amazed because no golfer used to fist-pump.

But, he was boring. And insincere. And as my grandmother has always told me, the spots don't change. A person is who they are, and while there is always good in people, for the most part, you get what you get with people.

Instead of doing all this stuff that Tiger is doing, I wish he'd come out and just be honest about who he is. Don't write tweets about how cool it is to wear shorts during a radio interview, just let us know, "Hey, I'm a bottled up individual, who doesn't like to give much out about my personal life. Hate me or love me, but that is what you get." If Tiger did that, I think we'd all respect him a lot more.

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Now That's An Interesting Scorecard

The reason PGA Tour Q-School is so interesting is because it is a melting pool the likes of which no other sport sees. There are people from small towns in Alabama, people from South America, rich country club kids and anyone else that doesn't fit in those categories (Okay, fine, I'll say it ... Canadians).

No matter the year, I always like to scroll through the scores in Q-School to see names I know or have played with before and see how they're doing. My first ever professional tournament, a Pepsi Tour event, had me paired with a gentlemen I would get to know very well in the Phoenix area. His name was Benoit Beisser, a peculiar type that ended up being a member of one of the "Big Breaks."

He is a solid player, and one of the things I remember from that round is how he went bogeyless throughout the entire round until the last hole, when he snap-hooked his drive about 50 yards left of the fairway. It was a moment that helped me, because it showed even the most steady players have nervous moments.

Well, Benoit as he goes by, is in contention at the second stage of Q-School in Murrieta, California, but not like you'd think. He has shot rounds of 71-68 for a share of sixth place (this location takes the top-20 and ties to third stage), but look at his second round scorecard.

Benoit had the following:

- Eight Pars
- Five Birdies
- One Bogey
- One Double-Bogey
- One Triple-Bogey
- One Eagle
- One Double-Eagle

Can you imagine that scorecard?!?!? I mean, it's insane. The best part? He made the double-bogey and triple-bogey in succession and was four-over for the day at that point, only to go birdie-par-eagle-par-double eagle. What a stretch of holes.

So, yes, even the pros have those roller coaster rounds. Hopefully he can steady the ship a little these next two days and just focus on the circles.

Dude.

Rory McIlroy is one of my favorite golfers in the world. Why? Because he's awesome, and he's from Ireland, and I like awesome things from Ireland (picks up glass full of dark liquid ... points at it).

But, it's moments like these when you realize the dude is 21. Rory, for some reason I'll have to get explained to me over a big bowl of pasta, dyed his hair (is this even a dye job? Did he just walk in the middle of a bleach fight?) that color, and then posed for photos sporting the new 'do.

I'm assuming Rory's head is pointing off stage, towards the sky as he wonders, "God, why hast you done this to me?" That's actually Romans 6:18.

Good news for camp What The Hell Is Wrong With Your Head - McIlroy shot 63 at the Hong Kong Open and is a shot back.

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Tiger Woods on Mike and Mike

As you well know, Tiger Woods was on Mike and Mike Thursday morning for 30 whole minutes, talking about everything* in his life and goals he has moving forward.

Since I won't bore you with anymore commentary on my end, here are some of the quotes from Tiger.

"[I'm] just more clear, more clear about my perspective, who I am, where I want to go," he said. "It's amazing how much better I feel internally each and every day."

That followed the publication of his essay, in which he closed with the following: "I'm not the same man I was a year ago. And that's a good thing."

Over the last two years, Woods said on "Mike and Mike," he was frustrated and angry on the golf course. "I wasn't happy with who I was," he said. "I was doing things morally, inside, I knew I shouldn't be doing."

"I still have the same drive to get better, no doubt. That's an each and every day process," Woods said. "But I can't get better as a player if I don't get better as a person."

So, yeah, shall we review?

-- Tiger wants to be a better person.
-- Tiger wants to break Jack's records still.
-- Tiger is not the same man he used to be.

Hooray.

* = except for anything about Thanksgiving.

Tiger Will Be On Mike And Mike, But Don't Expect Much Of What You Want

On Thursday, Tiger Woods will be on ESPN's popular morning show "Mike and Mike," joining hosts Mike Golic and Greenberg for half an hour starting at 7:30 AM ET. Tiger, who shies away from nearly any interview is doing this a day after jumping on the Twitter bandwagon as part of his "media rehabilitation," but is he really going to be some sort of new Tiger that tells all?

Nope, not really. The interview has restrictions, as you'd expect, and Richard Deitsch explains them.

2. There will be no callers.

"Tiger's people asked we not ask him specifically about the details of his car accident of last Thanksgiving night. Considering Tiger's been asked about the details of the accident many times during the past year at various press conferences, golf tournaments and by ESPN and has declined to answer each time, we agreed to that request."

4. Woods’s reps also asked that ESPN not ask how much time he spends with his former wife, Elin. (ESPN reps said they had no plans to address this topic, anyway)

So, yeah, Tiger will be on, in his usual media self, giving us just enough to make us listen (I'll be listening, at 5:30 AM my time). I'm sure it'll be disappointing, like most of his press conferences, but I have to say I'm a little intrigued to see how he acts with two guys that tend to shy away from the tough stuff, but might get into it a little.

Is this a new Tiger? Probably not, but it's fun to talk about.

h/t Shack

Tiger Woods To Start Twitter Account (For Real)

Every morning I wake up, and read a story about how Tiger Woods is changing. I see headlines like, "looking to move direction in 2011," "different story next season," "rebuilding more than his golf swing." They're lazy and tired stories, meant solely to garner page views, but that's golf writing.

But, we have a new Tiger story on Wednesday. As he did in 1996, with two simple words (Hello world!), Tiger gave us all nine words today that should set off a Tweet storm; the guy might finally take hold of his Twitter account.

Granted, this is an account that already has nearly 100,000 followers and he's only sent four tweets ever, but if Tiger is really "changing" (read: not buying it), this might be a step in the right direction (read: still not buying it). Also, Tiger doesn't really seem like the exclamation mark type of guy.

But, yeah, Tiger is going to be tweeting. So, follow him or something. Or not.

(Also, two Twitter stories in a row? Yep, it's that time of year, folks.)

At Least Hunter Mahan is Humble

You hear from time to time about some of the PGA Tour stars with huge egos. One of the names that is usually tossed around is Hunter Mahan, an incredible talent that has won three times on the PGA Tour. Mahan is the type of golfer that seems to "get it" in the sense of understanding things and being cool. But, that's why Twitter is amazing. Because you really get to see what's up with a person (and that's why you find guys like Stewart Cink so amazing. Doesn't look like much from the cover, but he has a great sense of humor, an incredible ability to interact with fans and give us just enough insight to where we stay interested but don't get jealous).

So, Mahan started up the Twitter machine and it seems is in desperate need for followers (I point you all towards a great Will Leitch quote about this very thing from a few months back about how stupid it is to try to get higher numbers). He keeps asking for great ideas on how to get more, etc.

And, well, he did this.


Yep, that is him, asking you the fan, to retweet a message that says he is the man. Seriously. Isn't this like giving yourself a nickname, or voting for yourself in some talent contest? First, who cares if you have a billion followers of 50. Second, maybe stray away from the "I'm the man" contingent here if possible.

After reading this, I'm fairly convinced that Mahan is the type of guy that wears a big silver chain to the gym.

Via Sobel's Twitter

My Favorite Picture of Last Week

And it's none other than Sergio Garcia, the man, the myth, the whiner. No, but seriously, how do you not love that picture? Also, have you seen his new squeeze? She's pretty cute, as if he'd get with someone that wasn't.

So, yes, Sergio Garcia. Apple. No hands. Hey, he does still have talent!

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So, This Isn't Mini Golf?

I know, I know, we try not to make fun of people for stuff they can't help, but these are supposed to be smart college kids on "Jeopardy."

The question was for the whole enchilada, and the Aggie thought it was mini golf? Whaaa?

Also, it gives us a chance to run with the old, tired joke, "Nine out of 10 graduates from Texas A&M say that putts left short don't go in."



via Deadspin

LPGA Winner Donates Entire Winnings to Charity

Move over Oprah, because In-Kyung Kim is the coolest donater in town.

The 22-year-old Korean born LPGA star shot a final round 64 at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday, snagging a cool $220,000 for her work. It was her third career title, and put her over the million dollar mark for the year.

What did Kim do with the dinero? She donated it all to charity. Seriously.

Kim gave half the money to Ochoa's charity, and the other half to a yet-named charity in the United States.

"I went to Lorena’s party and I saw the kids and how she is helping kids with her foundation. I decided if I win, I will be giving all the money to people who need help," Kim said of her generous decision.

I mean, this is so awesome. I have written about 93 too many articles about Tiger Woods and his always wandering man region, so to get a chance to write something like this makes me feel like I'm actually doing something good for people.

Kim didn't have to do this, but she did, and the world is a beter place for it. People complain about how the LPGA Tour is "too foreign" a lot of the time, but if more Americans did things like this, the tour would be a better spot.

Well done, In-Kyung. It reminds us, as the holiday season fast approaches, that doing things for other people is A LOT better than doing stuff for ourselves. While that might be extremely corny, it's true, and I ahead of a lot of people need that reminder every once in a while.

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Some Friend Sues Another Friend Fore Hitting Him With a Ball

First, see what I did in that headline? Hiiilarious as usual!

Anyway, yeah, some rich doctor is suing his "buddy" because he didn't scream fore when he hit a shot that struck him in the head and blinded him in one eye. The round in question happened in 2002, but don't you worry because this thing is happening, and it's going to the New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday to sort this out.

Just to let you know, Dr. Azad Anand is suing Dr. Anoop Kapoor for not warning him of the shot.

Here are the details on the shot in question.

The men, frequent golf partners, were playing in October 2002 at the Dix Hills Park Golf Course with another friend, Balram Verma. After hitting a second shot on the first hole, each set off to find his ball.

Anand testified that he was hit as soon as he found his ball and turned around, about 15 to 20 feet away from Kapoor.
Verma testified that Anand was 15 to 20 feet away from Kapoor and about 50 degrees away from the intended line of flight for Kapoor’s shot.

Kapoor testified that Anand was farther away and at an angle of 60 to 80 degrees. He said he shouted a warning when he realized the ball was headed toward Anand. Neither friend said he heard a warning.

I mean, come on guys. This is going to court? Maybe it's because I grew up in a household that is completely anti-lawsuit (my mom once got hit by a guy in a Blockbuster parking lot, and just came home, not really telling anyone, until one of us realized this HUGE bruise on her leg, and asked what the hell happened), but I find it ridiculous that someone would really press charges against a supposed friend because this happened. It's part of golf! I've been hit with balls on the course. My golf cart has been hit. I've nearly been killed.

Golf isn't anywhere near a contact sport, but at a public golf course, it can be, and this is part of the deal.

Getting hit and going blind definitely sucks, but I think it makes you look a lot worse if you go out and try to get money from the guy. Almost as bad? Suing a person that you hit when drunk because his parents let him ride his bike in the street.

DTCC Game: Which Image Was From Tiger's Final Round 65?

Okay, Tiger Woods closed with a 65 at the Australian Masters this weekend. The other rounds? Not so much. So, you, fine reader, pick the image that was from Tiger's final round, and then the ones that aren't. It's going to be toooouuughhhh.





Hey, at least he gives us emotion ON the golf course.

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Troy Merritt Had a Very Good Sunday

Ever wanted to play on the PGA Tour? I have. I still want to. I dream about it twice a week, with the other five dreams going to my hope to be a backup singer for Lady Gaga (only partially true). So, what if someone told you that you'd be a member of the 2011 PGA Tour, and you'd get a million bucks? That isn't a bad day, right?

Troy Merritt got both of those Sunday at the Disney. Fighting for his life for next season, Merritt closed with a final round 67, good enough to secure his spot for next year. Along with that, he got in a playoff for the Kodak Challenge, the coolest thing the PGA Tour does over the course of a season that nobody's heard of. Merritt was in a playoff with Rickie Fowler and Aaron Baddeley for the million dollar bonus, and hit one of the most clutch shots of his life to about two feet. He rolled in the birdie and cashed in on the million bucks.

Video, via Devil Ball, is below.

Tiger's New House Is Insane

Wow. Talk about a golfer's paradise. Tiger Woods' new $55 million house is finished in Florida, and, I mean, what can you say? It is enormous, but more than that, it looks like you could practice for weeks outside his backyard.

The practice facility was set up to give Tiger a chance to practice in any wind conditions, which is one of the smartest things he might have ever done.

So, yeah, Tiger might not be the same golfer, but he does have the range to work on his game for days.

What If Tiger's Done?

So, I don't link drop as much anymore over here, but I wrote a piece at Devil Ball and wanted to see your thoughts on it. What if Tiger's done? Does that mean the end for the PGA Tour as we know it? Is there anyone around that can take the reins?

Go ahead, let me have it!

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When Two Equals One, Twice (Right?)

Hey all you ace-less golfers, ready to hate two seemingly innocent college females? Okay, let's hate!

Erica (left) and Lindsey Bensch are golfers at the University of Central Oklahoma (Go Bronchos!!, and that isn't misspelled), and during a practice round at KickingBird Golf Club (I can't make these names up), both made an ace. On the same day. Seriously.

Erica, a junior, knocked it in from 124-yards out on the third hole, while Lindsey waited until No. 11 to make hers, from 142.

Via the Bronchos website ...

“I was walking up to the 10th green and had just set my bag down when I heard all this whooping and hollering and so I knew Lindsey had done it,” Erica said. “I had finally got my first hole in one to tie her and she had to go one-up me again.

"It was a really cool day for us."

Yeah, yeah, yeah, more crazy hole-in-one stories.

As always, I say congrats to the Bensch girls and I hate you both in the same sentence. At least they weren't 98-years-old this time.

Rory McIlroy Confirms What We All Think About the PGA Tour

There are two truths about the PGA Tour that I think we all need to know; it is the best place to make money in golf (besides betting against drunks in Vegas), and it is the loneliest golf tour in the world. Unlike the LPGA or Nationwide or Canadian, nobody here travels together, or bunks up together, and you aren't close to home at all and, to be honest, it probably sucks at times.

But, you trade all that for the chance to win millions and be relevant unlike anything else in golf. Rory McIlroy, the 21-year-old stud from Northern Ireland, is already mega-famous, and doesn't really need the money, so he is going to do what's comfortable. Rory has decided he's sticking to the European Tour over the PGA, continuing the trend that a lot of Europeans have made this season.

Via Sean O'Shea ...

"I switched on the Golf Channel one morning when I was in the States and began watching the Omega European Masters in Switzerland and thinking to myself I would rather be there instead.

"Sometimes you feel as though you have to be in America just to play the mandatory 15 (tournaments) and at the start of this year that was something I really wanted to do. I did that but I also realized it wasn’t for me but then it doesn’t mean to say that I don’t want to play full time in the States again.

... "Holly (Sweeney – girlfriend) also has another two years at Uni’ and we have two dogs, a nice house and I love my life back in Ireland, back in Europe and I don’t want ever to give that up."

I mean, it makes total sense. People, for the most part, like to be close to home, and while it would be easy for Rory to buy a house or six all over the United States, it isn't home. He has a life that he doesn't have to give up anymore to be successful, and while it sucks for us PGA Tour fans, you can't fault the guy for it.

Also, this brings up something far greater and worrisome for Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour coats. Non-Americans don't need this tour that much anymore, and that is where a lot of the top talent is these days.

Face it, when you're making so much money you can't keep up with it, and you're an independent contractor that can make your own schedule, eventually you're going to do what YOU want to do, not what the trend has been for decades and decades.

David Cannon, Getty Images

Got A Problem, Punk?

Sergio Garcia is scary, obviously, but none as much as this photo from Australia. Maybe he hates the perfect weather and beaches, or is he still just pissed off at golf?

Who knows, but Sergio ain't happy folks, so watch out.

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Heckling Tiger in Australia Will Be Interesting

Not a Tiger Woods fan? Well, that's fine, nobody will yell at you about that. Not a Tiger Woods fan and want to let him know that? Well, that's where it gets interesting.

This week at the Australian Masters, Tiger will be making his first appearance in the Land Down Under since all the infidelity stuff, but you best leave your heckling shoes at home, because that will not be allowed. Not even twice.

Via the Herald Sun blog ...

While Woods is now on his way to Crown Casino where he will stay in luxury accommodation for the duration of his trip, fans are being warned if they heckle the philandering golfer over his bedroom antics they will be booted from Victoria Golf Club.

While golf fans are traditionally well behaved, hecklers tempted to unleash on Woods will be given just one warning before being shown the gate.

Crowds of up to 100,000 are expected over the five days of action at the Cheltenham sandbelt course.

Hum. So, you pay Tiger $3 million to show up, with the government footing half that bill, and then you force the taxpayers heading out to your course to stay quiet? I know golf is a gentlemen's sport, and I'm not really one to promote yelling at anyone playing, but this seems a bit harsh.

Also, it seems like we might see a few people tossed out for screaming anything at Tiger. If there is one thing Australians are good at, besides being tan, is drinking, and after a few pints on a sunny day, expect exchanges to occur. My only question is this -- what if someone pulls a banner behind the airplane making fun of Tiger? Will they get shot down?

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Mark Calcavecchia Only Needed 13 Clubs This Weekend

I must say, I've always been a Mark Calcavecchia fan. I have absolutely ZERO reason why I love him, he just seems like a normal guy that has some fun and has won some big events and I'd like to have a beer or two with.

This weekend at the Champions Tour event, I fell in love even more. Calc, who has always seemed to be battling with the putter when things aren't going great, decided the putter had rolled its last putt, and gave it to a kid on the 14th hole. It was the third round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Calc had just made three bogeys in a row.

So, thanks to Local Knowledge, here is my vote for quote of the fall.

"I three-putted 14 when I knocked the first one by about seven feet," Calcavecchia said, "then I parred 15 and birdied 16, when I made a five-footer. It was my long putt of the week. I'm not kidding you - I've had 32, 34 and 36 putts this week. I'm good for 38 tomorrow. I might just stick with the 3-wood and not even bring a putter out. Maybe I can find a long one, but my options are slimming down quick."

How did Calc do the rest of the round with the 3-wood as his putter? He played the remaining four holes 1-under. Also, he shot 68 on Sunday, his low round of the week.

Photo courtesy of Bill Fields

Tiger Woods Didn't Get a Lot of Skin in Thailand

Go ahead and check Thailand off your list of places that Tiger Woods' golf game snuck off to. On Monday, Woods participated in a skins game in his mother's home country, only to get beat up and down the course by the other three pros competing.

Camilo Villegas and his biceps won five skins and the most money, while Paul Casey snagged nine skins and Thongchai Jaidee won three. Tiger scooped in just $6,600 for his skin before leaving the event on his private plane to Australia.

It has been a long time since Tiger played an event and had a chance to win, and as strange as it sounds, it is things like this little charity event that I think could jumpstart the man's second career with golf. If he could eventually come out at something like this, or the Chevron, and beat up the field, I think it would give him some confidence he is looking for before next season kicks off.

Still, Tiger isn't there, or even close, and the more he plays like this, the more depressing it becomes. David Duval agrees.

(My favorite part of the picture gallery? How many umbrellas there were in the crowd, and it wasn't raining. SUN, YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT US!)

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This White Cobra Driver Is Sweet

It's funny, a few months ago when TaylorMade was starting to release the Rossa ghost putters (btw, I have one, and it's awesome), I predicted that it would be just a little before they came out with a white driver, like the one John Daly used to rock in the early '90s.

Well, you snooze you lose, because Cobra released a white-head driver, and it's awesome looking.

It's a limited edition ZL driver, and it will hit your pocketbook around $625, but there is no price on being the coolest guy on the range. No word if there are any lefty heads, but if I find out I'll let you know.

Tiger Woods Reminds Us He's Boring, Seeks Majors

Normally when Tiger Woods talks, journalists everywhere use one hand to write down what's he saying, the other to keep their heads up so they don't pass out from boredom. So, it's no surprise that Tiger took to the microphone again to remind us of the following:

-- He still wants to win majors. (Really??!?)
-- He still thinks he can catch Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors. (What, is he going to say, 'Nope. No chance. I'm toast.'?)
-- He's had lean years before. (Yeah, at a Perkins. *carhorn*)
-- Ben Hogan didn't start winning majors until he was something like 73. (Maybe an exaggeration.)
-- He's happy. (Snooooooreeee)

Well, enough of me, hereeeee's Tiger.

"It's a career. It took Jack over 20 years and I haven't been playing that long," he reasoned. "No-one has done better than Jack with 18... at the end of the day, hopefully I'll have more than 18 major championships.

"I'm only 34 -- Ben Hogan didn't start winning his [majors] until after my age - all nine of them - so I'm looking forward to it."

Woods admitted it had been a "tough 12 months" following revelations about his private life but stated: "I'm in a much, much better place.

"I'm much happier, much more balanced. I've gone through a lot and thank God I did, because I needed to put my life back into an order and a balance.

"It was rough going, but boy I'm glad I'm at the spot I'm at now. It feels good."

I'd love to play that card game Bullshit against Tiger one day, because no matter what he said, or what cards he held, I'd just scream BULLSHIT! at the top of my lungs anytime he opened his mouth.

It's like he's trying to convince himself of this all this now more than convince us, and I'm not one to buy it.

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Hahahahahahahahaha

Man oh man ... what do you say about this, really? Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and some swords. Hey, at least they aren't hitting each other with 'em.

h/t Busbee, via Getty

Rajon Rondo Was Tiger Woods for Halloween

The above picture is a few of the Boston Celtics dressed up for Halloween. It appears Rajon Rondo was Tiger Woods.

Now, while he does do a pretty good Tiger face (boring), I guess I don't get the sling. is that because his wife is chasing him down and hitting him with the golf club?

Anyway, well done. I laughed. That's all I really ask from Halloween costumes.

Belen Mozo Will Quickly Hit Your Radar

When I talk to my friends about female athletes that are attractive, rarely do any of them get out of "athlete hot." That is, most female athletes that we find attractive are attractive for their trade, but aren't really going to blow you away at a bar if you didn't know who they were (obviously no offense to any female athlete friends of mine, you're all hot and I love you all).

But, there is a golfer named Belen Mozo, and she will quickly be a household name to you if and when she starts playing full-time professional golf on the LPGA Tour.

I've met Belen, and she's really nice, and funny, so the personality works, and she went to USC, which makes her kinda alright at this game.

So, yeah, here are some pics of Mozo, and no, I'm not putting these up for any other reason than to introduce you guys to a girl that is cute and good at golf and will most likely be heading some sort of athlete hot list in the coming years.

(Also, side note rant - when did Hugh Grant get jacket? Is he just eating protein 20 hours a day? Man, being an actor must be incredible.)

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The Ben Crane Workout Video

I can't stop laughing!