Hot Much, Zach Johnson?

Zach Johnson won last week for the first time this season by closing with rounds of 62-64. His year had been pretty much wasted until the victory at the Valero Texas Open, so what does the former Masters champion do?

Oh, not too much, he just made 10 birdies today and no bogeys on his way to a 62 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (Whew). In his last three rounds on the PGA Tour, Johnson has made 25 birdies in 54 holes. Umm, wow?

So, Where Does Tiger Rank In the FedEx Cup Points Today, and How Much Would He Have Made This Year?

Sometimes it is hard to grasp just how damn good Tiger Woods is at golf. Yeah, he wins, yeah he makes billions of bucks, but just to think of some of the things he does to the golf world is incredible.

Like this point...

Today, three weeks through the FedEx Cup playoffs, Tiger is still ranked 70th on the list, and hasn't earned a point since the middle of June. Also, in case you forgot, Tiger played in six tournaments total this season. Since the FedEx Cup is a little skewed because the playoffs have started and points count more, lets take a look at the money list.

Tiger is SECOND on the PGA Tour Money list this year. Second. He is just $698,684 behind the money leader, Vijay Singh, who played in 16 more tournaments than Woods did this season. 16!!! It is crazy to think this way, but if Tiger had played the other 16 like he played the first six (winning four times, so a bit out there), he would have earned $21,175,000 this season. Needless to say, I think he would have claimed the money title. Wow.

Well At Least One Mickelson Is Playing Good Golf

It hasn't been a year to remember for our favorite grin-happy left-hander Phil Mickelson. Sure, he has two wins, but hasn't been a factor in any major championship this year and hasn't carded a victory since the Colonial in May.

No worries Mickelson surnamers, brother Tim Mickelson is playing well at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Wisconsin.

The runner-up in stroke-play qualifying for the tournament, Mickleson won the final hole with a par 4 to Kammann's bogey 5. Mickelson's putter saved him down the stretch. He made a 7-footer to win the par-4 16th hole and square the match, a 15-footer on 17 to stay tied with Kammann and a 5-footer on the 18th hole to win.

The golf coach at the University of San Diego, Mickelson said he and Kammann, of Baneberry, Tenn., both played well despite an all-day drizzle.

"I'm not a big fan of playing in the rain. In those conditions I thought I played pretty good," Mickelson said of his 1-under 69.

Tim has played in two Tour tournaments, one PGA and one Nationwide, missing the cut in both. He might not be Phil good, but he's a damn impressive golfer in his own regard.

The current holder of numerous OSU golf records, including low 18, 36, 54, and 72 hole scoring records, he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies.

5-Year-Old Makes Ace, People Freak

There is nothing luckier in golf than a hole-in-one. Nothing. Absolutely zilch.

You can be one of the best golfers in the history of the world (clears throat, Ben Hogan) and never make an ace or you could be one of those local scratch golfers that everyone hates because you have 17. A good shot can be a good shot all year long without finding its way into the hole.

That is why this lead sentence kills me.

Look out Tiger Woods, 5-year-old Drew Gray's got game.

Oh yeah Tiger, you better start looking for other work, a 5-year-old made an ace on a 75-yard par-3 last week even though the story goes on to say it doesn't count.

Not to switch gears, but if a 5-year-old cans an uno, who cares if it is on a par-3 course? I'm pretty sure if I was his mom I'd at least cut that sentence out of the story when sticking it on the fridge.

No matter, it is a great accomplishment and you have to be impressed by some little boy that can hit a golf ball 75-yards, fairly straight. That is, if we are assuming it went straight and didn't bank off the rake of the bunker and hit the stick going Mach-3 and drop in.

Sorry I'm bitter, it is just really fun to be a member of the "Get screwed every single time you hit one close" club and hear some 5-year-old is making an ace. He can't even buy a round of beers (unless his dad is really cool)!

Hey, That Guy That Does The Weird Putting Stance Won a Tourney

I know, I know, once football starts most lose track of golf, especially when the Chosen One is out with an injury. No matter, the tournaments still pay the same and Camilo Villegas took home the trophy today at the BMW Championship, his first PGA Tour victory.

Villegas got himself in position to win with opening rounds of 65-66-66 and closed with a two-under 68 that was good enough for a two shot victory over Dudley Hart.

Now in second place in the FedEx Cup point standings, Villegas will be heading to the Tour Championship with absolutely zero chance of taking Vijay Singh in the FedEx Cup. Singh has to just complete all four rounds and he will land the $10 million prize.

Note to Villegas -- watch the Volkswagen part of "Happy Gilmore" for some advice on how to stop Singh from winning. "Jackass!"

Photo courtesy of Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

Streelman Has a Rare Shot in Rookie Season

Last season Kevin Streelman was hacking it out on the Gateway Tour, trying to make a living on the mini tours as he prepared for PGA Tour Qualifying School.

Like thousands of other great players looking for a break, Streelman put in his dough and headed to Q-School with one thing on his mind -- making it to the big show. The Duke grad was the only Gateway Tour player to make it to the dance and after a slow start, has secured his card for 2009 and is starting to make a name for himself.

Streelman is in the lead at the Barclays, an event with the biggest names in golf and a chance to take a lead in the FedEx Cup, something that would make the whole playoff thing worth it's hype. Could you imagine a rookie winning something that paid $10 million? Could there be a better story?

His three-under 68 on Sunday has Streelman sitting at eight-under and one shot ahead of a large group that includes Vijay Singh, a hairy Mike Weir, Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia.

Sure, he might falter like he did when paired with Tiger Woods in the final group at the Buick Invitational, but Streelman can lean on a lot of experience he has gained in 2008, including a t-6 last week at the Wyndham Championship.

A huge hurdle to overcome with those big names, the good thing is one of the hotter young stars on tour right now will be on the first tee tomorrow spotted a shot before he ever hits a ball.

Australian Golfer Fires a 59, Birdies Every Par-4 On the Course

For a minute yesterday I thought Hunter Mahan would make a run at that herald number, but it turned out an Aussie playing in the Queensland Sunshine Tour grabbed 59 instead.

Craig Jones' 13-under 59 was the lowest round ever carded in an professional event in Australia and matches the lowest ever on the PGA Tour with Al Geiberger, Chip Beck and Mr. David Duval, who have all posted sub-60.

Jones made two eagles, 10 birdies and a bogey on his round, making for an extremely colorful scorecard. As mentioned in the beautiful headline, Jones made a birdie on EVERY SINGLE par-4 he played, a feat that is almost as hard to swallow as someone firing a 59.

A 20-footer on his final hole had to drop and did, with Jones saying it felt like all his birthdays combined.

"When I hit the putt on the last I knew it had a chance and I can't describe the feeling when it went in," said Jones, who will join the Japanese Tour on Sunday.

[Deadspin]

Day One of the Barclays In the Books

If the first day of the FedEx Cup was any indication of the next four weeks, expect to see a lot of young guys in the mix. A lot. You think all my buddies buy Powerball tickets for nothing? It's because young guys love thinking about winning $10 million.

Hunter Mahan scorched Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday, firing a 9-under 62 with consecutive 31s. Mahan's eagle to start wasn't bad either.

Other young guns in the hunt include Paul Casey (2nd), Kevin Streelman and Charley Hoffman (t-3) and Adam Scott (t-8).

A rather entertaining first day of golf showed that this FedEx thing might be interesting after all. Can we get a Schmickelson sighting tomorrow?

Hunter Mahan is Having a Decent Day

There is nothing like making a birdie on the first hole of the day. Tight par-4, a little nervous as you head out, a couple of good swings and you just carded your first red number. I guess an eagle works too.

Hunter Mahan, after an eagle on his first hole, is absolutely obliterating Ridgewood Country Club, moving to eight-under through 15 holes. The Oklahoma State freak of a golfer turned in four-under 31, then went on to birdie four of his first five holes on the back with a par-5 left to play.

Although highly unlikely, a birdie-eagle-birdie finish is that number you're not supposed to talk about. Not a bad way to kick off your FedEx Cup.

J.B. Holmes Is Long

The thing about aggressive golfers, like J.B. Holmes or Phil Mickelson, is that when they hit the fairway it's a great birdie opportunity on almost any hole, no matter the distance. If they miss it, the miss is usually huge (a la Winged Foot), so this leads to a ton of birdies and a ton of bogeys.

Looking at Holmes scorecard, who is currently the clubhouse leader at one-under after an impressive two-under 68, you see exactly why this theory holds true. Also, throw in a testing course like Oakland Hills and you better just hope the bad shots lead to bogeys, and not those nasty "others."

Holmes, and his extremely classy black golf glove, is currently tied with Phil Mickelson (seriously), Aaron Baddeley and Sergio Garcia in a major that is shaping up to be the best leaderboard we've had all year on the weekend.

Could anything be better than a Garcia-Mickelson final pairing? I'd love to see them tied for the lead heading to 18 on Sunday. Which one makes the triple to the others double to lose by a shot?

Getty Images

Get Ready to Say The Line "Charle Wi Is Your Second Round Leader"

As Oakland Hills continues to look like that lady in your office that everyone hates and wants to secretly push off a ledge, South Korean Charlie Wi just wrapped up his second consecutive round of even-par 70 to take the clubhouse lead.

Sure, it will take a lot from the six golfers under par that haven't teed off yet, but as I've been following with PGA.com's live stream coverage, bogeys are out there. They're everywhere. They are on holes you hit the fairway and holes you hit greens and holes you have four-footers for par. Oakland Hills does not like people have fun on her. She's not nice. If you poke Oakland Hills on Facebook, she'd block you as a friend.

Expect to see Charlie Wi in one, if not the last, group tomorrow morning.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Franklin, Getty Images

John Daly Is, Gulp, Not Playing So Bad, UPDATE

We here in the blog world tend to take pokes at John Daly more than most. He's a tad overweight, just a little loony and has struggled (at times) on the golf course.

The thing most people don't understand, is most people, including myself, still root for Daly. I want him to do well, I hope he shoots under par and I couldn't ask for anything more than a solid week at a tournament that introduced him to our world.

He isn't going to win this week, that's almost a given, but making the cut and getting to see him happy again would be well worth it to the world of golf. He's two-over through 16 holes and it might be his best round, but it's good enough for a top-40 finish and a puncher's chance at making the cut tomorrow.

(There are just a lot of 8s and 9s out there waiting to grab Big John by his Texas-sized gut)

UPDATE: Yeah, just after I posted this Daly made a double-bogey on 17, so I guess you can forget all that I wrote (like you wouldn't anyway).

Photo courtesy of Hunter Martin, Getty Images

Some Golfers Might Have to Learn to Hit Those Precious Fairways

Distance has taken the finesse out of golf. The big hitters just bomb driver on every single hole, don't care if it goes in the rough because they can create three digit swing speed with a lob wedge and hack it out with a ton of spin.

This might be the case anymore.

The USGA just passed that starting in 2010, restrictions will be set to control the grooves (groovyness?) on golf clubs five-iron and higher. Wow, that was confusing, let real writers explain.

The rules control the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above).

The research undertaken and published by the USGA and The R&A demonstrates that for shots from the rough with urethane-covered balls (the type of ball most used by highly skilled players), modern, sharp-edged U-grooves result in higher ball spin rates and steeper ball landing angles than the V-groove designs used predominantly in the past.

The combination of a higher spin rate and steeper landing angle results in better control when hitting to the green. Shots from the rough become more similar to shots from the fairway, creating less challenge for shots from the rough.

Yeah, so that will be a big change. If you don't think the groove debate is a big deal, swallow this -- notorious rough-ignorer Vijay Singh puts new wedges in his bag every single week.

Of all the things the USGA could do to deter the equipment from taking over the game, this is the best and most logical choice. If you don't think you can hit the fairway with the driver, start pulling out a long iron.

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

Wie Out in Even Par, One-Over Through 13

Well, it isn't as if she's tossing the tournament away in her first few holes.

A standard bogey on the first hole you can blame on nerves, Wie battled back from another stumble on the fifth hole with birdies on 6 and 9 to get back to even par. She has since bogeyed the par-3 12th to land in a tie for 77th, but has been fairly respectable so far considering all she's dealt with heading in.

If she can get around at even par for the day, she'd gain a little confidence and maybe be able to fire a number tomorrow to make the cut. If not, she'll be answering those nasty questions she should be used to by now.

You can keep up with the coverage on absolutely no channel because some networks are dumb.

Jeff Overton Is Making it an Uphill Climb for Wie

I'm sure at some point today we'll get to the Bridgestone Invitational, but it's Michelle Wie's world and we're just trying to make a couple of birdies in it.

Jeff Overton...excuse me, the Dominant Jeff Overton...fired a seven-under 65 to hold the lead in the clubhouse and nearly 40 golfers are under par so far in the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Good news for Wie though. She'd have to really struggle to finish in last place at this event. Some guy named Lance Ten Broeck (don't ask, I have no idea) posted a 16-over 88 that actually included back-to-back birdies at one point in the round. Wie would have to do something really stupid like not sign her scorecard or something to finish behind this guy.

My Take on All That is Greg Norman

I feel that most of the time Negative Nancy appears in my writing. I really never try to be a negative guy, but a lot of the things that appear in sports are mostly bad.

That is why I feel that Greg Norman, the last two weeks and now with his decision to pass on the PGA Championship, has been absolutely amazing for the sport. Just a month and a half ago we were scared that golf would absolutely disappear without Tiger Woods around, and even though ratings have obviously dropped, the story lines are still there if people take notice and care about them.

Golf continues to strive because the sport is great for everyone. Norman reminded us of that and for that he gets full respect from this blogger.

Greg Norman Cleaned Up Early Round Throw-Up from Self, Finished Top Five at Senior British

Greg Norman might have started out like the pre-Royal Birkdale Norman we were used to, but he sure finished like he was a 53-year-old just hitting his prime.

At the Senior British Open, Norman carded a first round 75 and followed that up with a sloppy 72, but weekend rounds of 67-68 at Royal Troon had the Shark finish in a tie for fifth place, his second straight top-five. Norman will have to keep his hot streak up at the Women's British Open next week to have a chance at completing the trifecta.

Norman spoke after the round about how much fun it was competing for two weeks straight in the major championships.

"I enjoyed (the two weeks) on a scale of 1 to 10, a 10," Norman said.

"I enjoyed every step, loved it. From a scoring perspective, I haven't enjoyed that. I've played a lot better than what my scores indicated and just didn't work out."

As I've noted, Norman did not choke at the Open, he just finally ran into a guy (Padraig Harrington) that wasn't going to get beat. This week, he struggled early after probably more golf pressure and media attention than he's had in ten years, only to find his game again and close strong.

I might not speak for everyone when I say it would be smart for Norman to skip the PGA Championship invitation and just ride out in the sunset at a pretty unexpected high point in his career, but if he does play, I hope his game holds up for two more weeks.

Parties are always more fun with that random old guy walking around, hitting on girls that are partly amused, party creeped out.

Chez Reavie Wins the Canadian Open in First Year on Tour

Sure, it isn't the U.S. Open or British Open, but the Canadian Open is a PGA Tour event and it is the biggest tournament our northern brothers host.

Chez Reavie, in his first full season on the PGA Tour, won in convincing fashion, hitting golf shots coming down the stretch in such calm fashion you would think it was a Tuesday practice round.

A solid birdie putt on the 18th hole had the Dobson Ranch creation take the title by three shots after a final round 70 that had four birdies, three bogeys and never a doubt as everyone giving chase seemed to fade away.

Anytime you can actually watch someone's life change in front of your eyes, it's special and after his third shot found the green on the 18th, the close-up of Reavie showed a man realizing that his bank account will never be a problem and he'll have a job for at least the next two years.

For mini tour golfers everywhere, Reavie is the reason you're tossing the clubs in the trunk and heading to the range for an afternoon session.

Photo courtesy of Robert Laberge, Getty Images

This Anthony Kim Kid Is Up To It Again

In both victories Anthony Kim has smoked home this year, he's had that one round that most need to get over the hump.

At the Wachovia Championship in May, Kim shot a third round 66. A month later, he won the AT&T National with a final round 65. Today, chasing a ton of guys in front of him at the Canadian Open, the Mercury-melting Kim fired a seven-under 64 to jump to a tie for the lead and possibly a chance at the Player of the Year award.

The 23-year-old Kim has had some pretty interesting rounds this week, opening with a pretty factory 65 and following that up with a two-under 69 that included two eagles, one double-bogey, three bogeys and three birdies.

He's becoming the favorite every week when he tees it up, not missing a cut since early April and finishing in the top-10 in his first ever British Open. If he wins this, that will be three for the year and his cockiness will be refreshing for the American Ryder Cup team.

Could you imagine if Tiger Woods was healthy and they paired him with Kim against the European Team? It would be like the year Tiger played with Phil Mickelson, only a lot cooler and probably successful. Hey, there'd be a lot less awkward white-ness in the group, that's for sure.