Lee Westwood Shot 77, Took It Like A Man

There is nothing better in golf than those guys you have that have never made a bogey in their lives. Sure, they've carded a bogey, but it's because the wind or a bad bounce or the wrong club or a bird or sex from the night before. I hate these people.

Lee Westwood is now one of these people.

I was happy to break 80 after being seven over after 12 holes. Standing on the 17th tee I asked my caddie if he could hear the sea as well as I am sure I could hear my holiday calling. But I dug in there.

I didn't do a lot wrong. The fairways are narrow and unfortunately if you miss the semi by a foot you are worse off than if you miss by 20 yards, which you need to take different people's opinions as the whether that is fair. You have to reward the accurate players like they did at the US Open. If you miss by a shot you have half a shot. I had a shot on the fourth, hit a driver and cos the fairways are firming up, ran through the fairway a foot into the rough and I couldn't even get a lob wedge to the green and I only had a 95 yards to the front. That's the sort of thing you are battling against out there. It is a difficult course any way with the greens and the pin positions to protect it. I am not sure you need rough as long as it is and you certainly don't need to sweep it back towards the tee the night before the tournament when we have played it as it is in the practice rounds.

(The only way to make it fair is to) cut all the rough out. I think the US Open was set up perfectly. It rewards accuracy and penalizes you if you are off liner. I didn't see that today. I asked my partners if I was out of order and they said 'No, if you are slightly off line you are crucified'. In my opinion it is too thick around the greens as well. It takes the skill away from chipping. Yoy don't need it. The course is 7,500 yards long, the greens are firm, and the pins are tucked away. They are sucking the fun out of the Major Championships when you set it up like that.

Wow, sounds like a happy camper. Think he's going to be "in it" tomorrow?

Photo courtesy of STAN HONDA, AFP

Vijay Singh's Putting Stroke Sure is Pure

If you didn't catch the Bridgestone Invitational yesterday at Firestone, you actually missed watching some of the top professional golfers on the planet choking harder than an infant throwing back a 20-ounce porterhouse.

Phil Mickelson was right in the mix, driving that car to the winner's circle until he bogeyed three of his last four holes, all sloppy, all ill-timed, all Mickelson-y.

Everyone's favorite Fijian golfer, Vijay Singh, decided that what Mickelson was doing looked fun, and after making four birdies in his six holes, bogeyed three coming in with a putter that looked shakier than an extra on "Turbulence" with Tourettes (sorry, I'm honing in on my inner-Rick Reilly this morning for some reason).

You know when athletes have quotes that are so deep, so meaningful you realize why they're pros and you're not? Well, this isn't one of those times.

"I was wondering if I tried to hit it as close as possible so I didn't leave myself a putt," Singh said.

Does any of that sentence make sense to you? I'm fairly confused at the point he was making, but I think he is saying that he thought he might wonder if he hit it close to the hole the putt would be as long?

Here, I'll make it a formula.

(Hitting ball far from hole) ~ + (hitting it close to the hole) * (pin) - (wind direction at the time) / (hitting ball and not ground) = birdie

Got it? Anyway, it was Singh's first WGC title of his career but I still can't consider him a favorite this week at Oakland Hills with that putter. It wasn't pretty, and that's saying a lot when talking about Veej.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Franklin, Getty Images

Phil Mickelson, Truly the Anti-Tiger Woods

My uncle made a great point on the phone a minute ago about Phil Mickelson -- the dude is completely the opposite of Tiger Woods in clutch situations.

Sure, he's won three majors and yes, he's immensely talented, but since Winged Foot he hasn't been the same guy.

Today, Lefty practically wrapped up the trophy for the Bridestone Invitational, tied a cute little bow on top and then handed it over to Vijay Singh, who was doing his best to hand it back.

Schmickey has never won a World Golf Championship and after bogeys on three of his last four holes Sunday, will be WGC-less once more. Always one to allow his game to sway with his confidence, Mickelson had a great shot to enter the PGA Championship next week as the favorite.

Now he's going to have this on his mind, and that ain't good.

In Shocking Events, Michelle Wie Will Not Be Making it to the Weekend

I've always agreed with those critics that thought it was incredible that someone's goal might be to just make the cut. Most of the time, in any sport you're competing in, winning is the only feasible option. You aren't going out in a basketball game hoping to just lose by five or six points. Never is a tennis player hoping to win a single set off his opponent. You play to win, period.

Wie's approach in what will now be her eighth straight missed cut on the PGA Tour has been to make a check, get to the weekend, show she "belongs," whatever that means.

To belong you have to be relevant and Wie hasn't been close since her first chance at the Sony Open in 2004 where she missed the cut by a shot.

Now, Wie is like a lot of us on the course, lost with what she's doing. Decisions, golf swing, putting stroke, it can all be criticized by now. Making the turn today, Wie was two-over for the tournament and needed to finish with at least two birdies.

The par-5 third hole, her 12th, gave her a great chance at birdie, but Wie, in what can only be considered typical at this point, made a double-bogey and all hopes were lost.

Like John Daly, Wie's story is becoming a sad one. You almost hope something good happens to her in the coming months because she's at such a fragile point in her life that she might not be able to recover if the climb continues this steep.

Photo courtesy of KAZUHIRO NOGI, AFP/Getty

Jimmy Walker and Scott Sterling Are the Lucky Dogs Paired With Wie

At 1:55 EST today, Michelle Wie will embark on her first PGA Tour event.

Oh, I'm hearing this isn't her first time doing this. Really? Oh, whatever.

Anyway, she's going to be paired with the illustrious Jimmy Walker and Scott Sterling. Never heard of 'em? Not sure they are even people?

Well, let's do a mini crash course on the two.

Jimmy Walker, the strapping 29-year-old Baylor graduate, has won three times on the Nationwide Tour and in his second full season on the PGA Tour, has made nine of 15 cuts. Met his wife at a Nationwide event where she was a volunteer for the tournament, strictly prohibited in the "Nationwide Tour volunteer handbook."

Scott Sterling was the original DJ for the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. Ehh, wrong guy. Nope, Scott Sterling is a PGA Tour player that finished in a tie for 12th at the John Deere this year, and is an avid fan of Pearl Jam.

Sound like a couple of guys perfect for Wie. Also, something I find funny, neither guys are in the top 50 in driving distance, maybe something the Reno-Tahoe people are doing so they can have a highlight on "Sportscenter" of Wie out-driving two men. "Wow, did you see how far that girl can hit it, she's amaaaazing!"

Would You Give Michelle Wie An Invite?

It's fairly insane that one of the bigger golf tournaments on the PGA Tour is having this week and Michelle Wie playing in the other PGA event is the big news.

With the Bridgestone Invitational going on at Firestone Country Club, all the big names trying to win should be the story. Unfortunately it isn't even close, as Wie continues to steal headlines as she tries to be the modern day Billie Jean King.

My question, would you give Wie an invitation if you were this tournament?

I'd have to say yes, it's the smart business decision. You're battling against a tournament with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia. Before Wie, the biggest name in the field was Ryan Moore. If you can invite someone to get you this exposure, you'd have to do it.

My follow-up question is simple. When will this stop? When does the luster of Wie rub off? When do people stop caring about her doing this? Will she always be this anomaly or are people going to get tired of her as she continues to fall short?

Honestly, as much trash as I push her way, I sure hope she can find a way to succeed this week so the dance is finally finished. I believe if she could make a cut, prove to her critics that she can do it, she can close that book and move on to the LPGA full-time. That or she'll start talking about winning a PGA Tour event. I guess that's why companies make hard liquor.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Franklin, Getty