O'Hair's 2nd round interview

Here are highlights from Sean O'Hair's second-round interview at the Byron Nelson Championship. He shot 1-under 69 and trails Luke Donald by one shot.

PGA Tour: We welcome Sean O'Hair to the interview room. Sean with a 1-under par 69 today. Just maybe talk a little bit about conditions out at TPC and we'll open it up for some questions.

SEAN O'HAIR: Sure. Well, the wind was a little bit different today, so I just -- obviously I didn't play TPC yesterday so it didn't really have too much effect. I think obviously I knew that Cottonwood was going to play a lot easier so there was going to be some good scores out on Cottonwood. You know, it just was -- for me today was not a very good ball-striking day, and it was a little bit kind of one of those days where you're just trying to get along and trying to get a feel for the greens because obviously I haven't played it -- I guess I played it Monday, so it's been a while since I was on the golf course. So I was just trying to get a good feel for the weekend, and obviously the greens are a lot different than they are over at Cottonwood. You know, just trying to get something going, and I think I did a good job hanging in there, especially on the back nine. I was playing pretty good, made eagle on 8, got things going -- excuse me, eagle on 7, got things going, made a birdie on 9, and just from there I missed a few makeable putts. Then all of a sudden my swing was a little bit off and just was struggling to make pars coming in. But I'm happy with where I am going into the weekend.

Q. On 14 you made a great save there. A, how long was that putt; and then B, what happened on the next hole?

SEAN O'HAIR: That putt, I mean, I couldn't -- I guess it was about 25 feet, and it just -- one of those putts where you've just got to -- I guessed right, and luckily it was just hard enough to go in. I struggled a little bit with the speed of the greens today. Some of them don't have grass on them and they're a little bit faster, and then like on some of the holes coming in, they had a little bit more grass and so they were a little bit slower. You know, 18 is a perfect example. You know, 15 was just -- actually I made a pretty good swing and I just yanked it a hair, and I just went at it so hard that it just kept going left, and I was expecting that wind to kind it take it over to the right a little bit, and it just never did. I really hit that drive hard. So, you know, I guess it started on 13, pulled it left, and that was the first shot I pulled, and I was pulling a few shots on the front and then I started hitting the ball good, then pulled a shot on 13, made bogey, 14, over-corrected, and then pulled it on 18, and then I hit some nice shots coming in. But it's nothing major.

Q. You said you were trying to get a feel for the weekend. Do you feel like you've got a pretty good idea of --

SEAN O'HAIR: Yeah. I'm tuned in. I'm very much looking forward to this weekend.

Q. Sounds like you figured something out coming in or something.

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, you just -- I'm liking how everybody is talking about the greens because they're not talking positive about it. It's just, like -- and for me, I just think that, yeah, you're going to miss putts that you feel like you should make and that's fine, but the more greens you hit, the better. I feel like -- you know, I'm going to get it tuned in on the range this afternoon, and hopefully -- obviously the more greens you hit this weekend, the better off you are. I think my game, the way I feel and everything, I'm liking how I feel going into the weekend and I like my position going into the weekend.

Q. If you work on a change in your swing, something you've decided you want to change, how long will you work on it before you'll actually take that change to the golf course?

SEAN O'HAIR: Well, immediately. You know, I'm kind of the feeling of, you know, if you're good enough to get out here, what you have is good enough. So making an overhaul is pointless. You may as well give up your TOUR card in my opinion. Now, Tiger obviously is different. Tiger can probably hit it left-handed and still play pretty good. You know, for me it's just a tweak here or a tweak there, and so if I go see my instructor and he says, okay, you need to start doing this a little bit and I'm hitting it all over the place, I'm going to tell him, give me something else because that obviously isn't working. But I can kind of get a feel for it in ten swings, and if I can't get a feel for it, it's not the right thing for me. Normally it's improvements, so I'll take them straight from the driving range to the golf course.

Q. So when you practice do you tend to spend more time in short game stuff?

SEAN O'HAIR: No, I work pretty hard on shaping shots. There's a certain ball flight that I want, and I really work hard on trying to start the ball where I want to and do what I want to with the golf ball, and you make sure that your setup is what you want and check your lines and all that stuff. But yeah, you spend a lot of time on short game. That's where the game is won is on the putting green and around the greens. I guess a perfect example is 14. If you don't make that up-and-down, you know -- obviously, to be honest with you, it was a pretty fortunate up-and-down, but that right there saved my round, I think. That was a huge momentum builder.

O'Hair's post-round interview

With a 5-under par 65, Sean O'Hair, 24, from West Chester, is the first-round leader of the Byron Nelson Championship.

Here are highlights from his post-round press conference:


PGA Tour: We welcome Sean O'Hair to the interview room here at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship after an opening round 65. Sean currently sitting 58th place in the FedExCup points standings through the season. I spoke with you earlier this year at Harbour Town, and obviously after getting off to a slower start this season you've definitely turned it around, Top 15 your last four events, I believe, and under par in 11 of your last 12 rounds. What's kind of been the difference between earlier this year and now?

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, I'm working on some things that I really believe in. I went back to an old instructor of mine, and things are starting to click. For me, and I think for everybody, golf is just about confidence, and it's just going out there with the feeling I'm going to play well, and that just wasn't the case at the beginning of the season.

Q. What are you working on? You said you were working on some things you believe in, and talk about the -- when did you change instructors from and to?

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, actually the guy I'm seeing, Steve Dahlby, we kind of parted ways right before I won, which was the week right before John Deere. And ever since then, I've seen a few guys. I was working with Gary Gilchrist for a while, and I guess it was right after Bay Hill I started seeing Steve again. He came out to Shell Houston and we started working again, and just immediately the chemistry was there and things started clicking. As far as what we're working on, I'm just -- I've been working hard for the past, I guess, year and a half on my backswing and it really hasn't been making too much sense. You know, all of '05 I just was working on my downswing, just working on -- through impact I was trying to get less handsy, just really release the club more with my body, and that's kind of what I've gotten back to. And that's, you know -- I don't know why you change.

Q. I think it was Butch Harmon who said one time that you can go down to the range and look at the pros working on their backswing, you know those are the pros that aren't making any money (laughter).

SEAN O'HAIR: Yeah, the backswing really doesn't matter. To me it's like when I work on my backswing, I just lose my rhythm. I think I've always had some pretty good motion, pretty good rhythm in my swing, and whenever I started working on my backswing, I lose feel where the club is, and I just lose sight of my shot shaping. It's like I'm not even playing golf. But now it just feels -- there's a few key things that I'm working on, and every day I'm hitting the ball great. So it's just trying to improve on that.

Q. Was there one thing in particular that clicked? Because at one point it's just been since then you've just been Top 15.

SEAN O'HAIR: Yeah, I truthfully believe that with golf, we all strive to understand our games. My game is different than say Vijay or top players; I mean, anybody out here, my game is different than theirs. There's a few things that -- you know, a few things, maybe a handful of things, that make me play well. You know, obviously for somebody to come out here and compete with the best, you've got to have confidence. You see the best players in the world, whether they're playing well or not, they have confidence in their ability, and I think that's because they understand their game. And I'm starting to get to that point where I understand what makes me play well, and it's just -- certain things to do, whether it be working out, whether it be things to do after a round or before a round. I'm starting to kind of get into some routines and stuff, just stuff like that that helps you play better. So there's a few things that have clicked, but ever since I switched back to Steve Dahlby, I just -- just the understanding of my game has just kind of hit me.

Q. Two years ago when you were the runner-up and you led a couple rounds, that was kind of what a lot of people saw as a big breakthrough for you. How different are you now as a player and how much have you learned about yourself in these two years?

SEAN O'HAIR: I think I might have gained a pound since then (laughter). As far as a difference, there's not a whole lot of difference. You know, I think I'm more seasoned, I'm more experienced. I mean, this was my 12th event in '05 -- no, it wasn't my 12th event. I can't remember what event it was. But, you know, just as far as my personality, I think everything else is pretty much the same. I still get nervous on the first tee and all that stuff, but I think my game is completely different. I think I understand it more. I kind of know what's going on. I'm a lot more comfortable out here. But it's nice to always come back here because this is kind of where I broke through. This is where I finally realized that, hey, I'm good enough to be out here. You always have that question in the back of your mind, you're making cuts, you're making cuts, but you're like, well, I'm not really sniffing anything. But when you come here and play as well as I did in '05 and kind of hang in there with some great players right behind you, it proved a lot to me that, hey, I'm right there.

Q. Also, back then, it seems like everything was very chaotic, wasn't it, things really spinning in your life at that time?

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, there was a lot -- I think it was more dealing with the media about that stuff than anything. I kind of had my life in order. You know, I really wasn't having any problems, and I think once the media kind of got involved in that situation, it made it a little bit more difficult for me. But, you know, it never really -- that stuff is long gone and it's been long gone for a long time. It's just -- you know, I never really even think about it. It really wasn't that big of a deal for me because I think my play showed it because if it was a big deal I don't think I would have been playing as well as I did in '05. So if that answers your question --

Q. I wasn't really referring to that. As I recall you guys had just had a baby or something.

SEAN O'HAIR: We had my first child, which was nothing but a blessing, and we just -- we had a great time taking her around. Right now it's a little more chaotic having two kids now, having a toddler and a baby. But it was -- ever since I had my daughter I played better, so my wife was like, let's have more.

Q. Would you remind me of your father-in-law's last name?

SEAN O'HAIR: Lucas.

Q. The little slump you went through, how hard was that? Was there a low point? What was the problem in the game?

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, I don't know if I could call it a slump. I mean, I definitely -- if I look at it on paper, I would call it a slump because obviously five missed cuts, I played like a dog on the West Coast. But '06 I did the same thing. I don't know if it's just a matter of a brain fart on the West Coast or just not being ready because it's the beginning of the year or a slump. I really don't know what it is. But it's definitely something that I'm going to try and get my hands on and turn that around. It stinks starting the way you do because, I mean, people start sitting there saying stuff about you and you actually start second-guessing yourself a little bit, and that's not always healthy. You know, it would be nice to start off the year next year with a better start and just be a little more consistent. I've been working harder than I've ever been, and you've just got to sit there and say, when you're going through a time like that, hey, I'm doing the right things and it's just going to come around. You see a lot of guys out here who have been out here for a long time go through stuff like that, and they always seem to pull through. I think I've learned to fight through those times. I mean, I've played on the mini-Tours, I went through all three stages of Q-school and went to Q-school six times, so I know how to deal with stuff like that.

Q. How satisfying is it to you that the story now is about your play on the course and not so much about family stuff like it was?

SEAN O'HAIR: You know, it's good. You want to be known for obviously who you are as a person and your game, those two things. You don't want to be known for other stuff. You know, I think as far as my life, my life is in a great spot. I mean, I've got two beautiful kids that I love to death and I've got a beautiful wife who does nothing but support me. I've just got a great support system, and I just think that I'm very blessed and I'm very fortunate to be in the situation that I'm in.

Tiger: Never played Merion, Pine Valley

As much as he gets around, Tiger Woods has never played the two greatest courses in the Philadelphia area, Merion or Pine Valley.

I had heard this from the clubs themselves, but I never knew Tiger to talk about it or confirm it -- until now.

During a practice round visit to the site of this year's U.S. Open, Oakmost Country Club outside Pittsburgh, the few gathered media got Tiger to talk about where he has and hasn't played. That led to this exchange, as quoted by Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press:

“Ever been to Merion?” he was asked.

“Never,” Woods replied, and he could see where this conversation was headed. “I’ve never even been to Pine Valley or Seminole.”

Pine Valley is annually ranked the best course in the country by some publication, and it was strange Woods has never been in the southern New Jersey area long enough to play it. Jack Nicklaus went there during his honeymoon.

Seminole should be no problem once Woods builds his palace in south Florida. He played Sunday afternoon with Bob Ford, the longtime head pro at Oakmont who spends his winter as the head pro at Seminole. Ford can probably set something up for him.

“I just don’t ever go anywhere out of the way to play golf,” Woods said. “I’m either at a tournament, or getting ready to play in a tournament and working on my game at home. I love to play, but I’d rather stay home with my buds at Isleworth or Newport Beach.”

Merion will host the U.S. Open in 2013, so as long as Woods can qualify that year, he’ll eventually get to see the plaque on the 18th fairway — as he’s walking past it to his ball — where Ben Hogan struck his mighty 1-iron in the final round of the 1950 U.S. Open.

CBS nixes Daly TV commercial

First, John Daly loses his PGA Tour card. Now he can't get any love from CBS. The network won't run Daly's latest Maxfli commerical because it shows him driving a golf cart while drinking what appears to be a beer.

If you need a refresher on Daly's bouts with booze, you ain't been following golf.

"Any implication that participants are drinking in excess or performing an activity that requires a level of alertness while drinking does not meet network standards," Leslie Anne Wade, CBS spokesman, told the NY Times.

Really, you can't make this stuff up.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Why Phil Switched to Butch

For the past couple of weeks, much of the inside-baseball buzz in golf has been about Phil Mickelson possibly dumping his longtime swing coach (and good friend) Rick Smith in favor of Butch Harmon

Aside from being Tiger Woods' old swing coach, Harmon is arguably the highest-profile of the small world of celebrated swing gurus. He's also no stranger to self-promotion, which never sat well with Tiger.

I first heard of Phil's possible switch the Monday morning after the Masters. One of my playing partners that morning at Augusta National was Jaime Diaz from Golf World and Golf Digest, who is one of the most plugged-in writers on the circuit. Jaime knows everybody and goes everywhere. That morning, he confessed to be tired because he had been up much of the night writing the Phil-to-Butch story for that week's Golf World.

It was a tough story to report and write, said Jaime, because every where he turned, he got mostly denials from all the principals involved. But Jaime's radar was up and functioning, and he knew he was onto something. Still, he had nagging worries: What if his eyes, his ears and his gut were wrong? Writers hate to embarrass themselves and their publications. Truth is, Jaime said that morning, he wouldn't be surprised if his editors held the story until he could get more confirmation.

GolfWorld did run it and, once the cat was out of bag, the denials became less and less strident. Within a week, the Mickelson Camp had issued a statement to the golf press confirming the whole thing.

Somewhere, Jaime breathed a sigh of relief.

This week, Jaime's colleague at Golf World, John Hawkins, another plugged-in scribe, weighs in with a column with more details, headlined "Why Phil Switched to Butch."

And now, suddenly, Butch is talking -- at least to Brian Hewitt at The Golf Channel. Here's a column Brian just posted on The Golf Channel's website discussing his newest client.

O'Hair on a roll

After a balky start to the season, Sean O'Hair on a roll.

The 24-year-old from West Chester finished T-15 at last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans, giving him his fourth Top 15 finish in as many weeks. The previous week, O'Hair got his first Top 10 finish of the year, 7th at the Verizon Heritage.

Before that, O'Hair had back-to-back T-14 showings at the Shell Houston Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Contrast that to five missed cuts out of his first six starts.

O'Hair, PGA Tour rookie of the year in 2005, has now made $485,946 through 10 tournaments, ranking him 58th on the money list.

He's also playing this week at the Byron Nelson Championship.

Strange and Green make golf's Hall

This just in from the World Golf Hall of Fame...

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Hubert Green and Curtis Strange will become members of the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007. Green was selected in the Veteran's category by the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors Selection Committee and Strange was elected on the PGA TOUR ballot.

For the rest of the story, click here.

My round at Augusta National

Not that anybody asked for it, but here is a hole-by-hole account of my recent post-Masters round at Augusta National.

We -- that's me, Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press, Jaime Diaz of Golf World and Golf Digest, and Bob DiCesare of the Buffalo News -- started on the 10th. For a detailed map and hole-by-hole graphic, it's available on the Masters website. Here's the column I wrote about the round for the Sunday Inquirer.

10th. 365 yards, par 4. Good drive that trickled into the right rough. 5-iron from 185 yards to short of the green. Skulled the chip over the green, chili-dipped the comeback chip. 3-putt. Opening hole jitters. Triple-bogey 7.

11th. 400 yards, par 4. Killed my drive. 8-iron from 140 yards leaked right of the green. Chipped to 6-feet. 1-putt. My first par. 4.

12th. 145 yards, par 3. One of the most famous and beautiful holes in golf. With a slight breeze in our face, Rodney the caddie says it's playing more like 160 yards. I hit 6-iron and the ball rolled just off the back of the green, near the rim of the bunker. Chipped to 4 feet, gagged the putt. Bogey 4.

13th. 455 yards, par 5. Good drive down the left side of the fairway. With 192 yards to clear Rae's Creek, I hit my hybrid, which I half-topped. It stopped just short of the creek. L-wedge to 12 feet, sank the putt. Birdie 4. (Tiger fist pump, obnoxious strutting).

14th. 380 yards, par 4. Good drive. On the advice of Rodney the caddie, I hit 8-iron from 148 yards. It came up short, in the midst of a couple of large mounds. My chip made it onto the green but trickled back almost to my feet. Chipped again to 8-feet. 2-putt. Double-bogey 6.

15th. 475 yards, par 5. Pulled my drive slightly, leaving it behind a stand of trees. Tried to thread the needle to lay-up short of the pond, but the ball caught the last possible limb and dropped in the rough. From 152 yards downhill, I hit 7-iron, not wanting to come up short; the ball landed on the upslope on the other side of the pond and somehow stayed up there, like Fred Couples' ball on the 12th several years ago. Chipped to gimme range. Par 5. (Note: I'm 1-under on the par 5s).

16th, 145 yards, par 3. With about 160 yards to a back left pin position, I hit 6-iron to 18 feet. 2-putt par. 3.

17th. 370 yards, par 4. Good drive. 9-iron from 118 yards uphill, on the advice of Rodney the caddie. Hit it perfect but the ball came up short and buried in the front bunker. Blast to 30-feet. Two-putt bogey. 5.

18th.385 yards, par 4. Killed another drive, through the fairway into the left fairway bunker. 8-iron out, over the high lip to short of the green. SW to 20 feet. 2-putt bogey. 5.

1st. 365 yards, par 4. Best drive all day. Uphill, wind in face, 8-iron from 135 yards to 18 feet. Ran my uphill putt 4 feet past and lipped out the come-backer to save par. Bogey. 5.

2nd. 515 yards, par 5. Pulled my tee shot into the trees. Punched out almost sideways to fairway. Hammered my hybrid down to just short of the green. Chip shot rolled back off the green. Chipped again. 2-putt. Double-bogey. 7.

3rd. 340 yards, par 4. The short, almost-driveable par 4. Going for broke, I yank/sky my tee shot, and the ball settled in trees left. From 195 yards, I hit my hybrid so well the ball trickles to the back fringe. My lag putt from maybe 40 feet rolled off the green to the front fringe. I sank to 10-foot comeback putt to save par. 4.

4th. 170 yards, par 3. Disaster awaits. Going with my hybrid, I left the ball out to the right. It one-hopped into the hedge and disappeared. When I found it, I even had a little opening to punch out toward the green. Crouched over in the hedges, I punched out -- I'm thinking I've hit a miraculous recovery shot --only to watch the ball roll into the deep front bunker. Blast to 30 feet, 2-putt double-bogey. 5.

5th. 500 yards, par 4. Crushed my tee shot, through the fairway. From behind and under a tree, on hardpan, I punch-curled a 4-iron around the tree, to just short of the green. Chipped to 15 feet, sank the par putt. 4.

6th. 165 yards, par 3. With a slight breeze in our face, I hit 5-iron to the right and over the green. Spectacular chip to 3 feet, sank the par putt. 3.

7th. 330 yards, par 4. Good tee shot. 8-iron to front bunker. Blast to 15-feet above the hole. Slippery green. Putt ran 5 feet past, and I missed the comeback. Double-bogey 6.

8th. 480 yards, par 5. Pulled my drive into the trees. Tried to hit 9-iron up and over a tree but it caught a limb and dropped on the edge of the rough. From 200 yards, uphill, I hit 3-wood to the right of the green. Chip rolled over the green and hung up in the fringe, above the green the sloped green. Chipped to 4 feet, sank the putt. Bogey 6.

9th. 395 yards, par 4. Hammered my drive down the left side. Worst luck of the day; the ball came to rest under the one low-hanging limb that could obscures my approach to the green. Punched an 8-iron to short of the green, chipped to 10 feet above the hole. I barely touched my putt and it rolled off the front of the green, down the embankment. Chipped to 4 feet, sank the putt. Double-bogey 6.

Overall day: Priceless.

Score: 88.

Boo who?

If you saw any or all of the Verizon Heritage on Hilton Head Island this past weekend, you might be wondering who, or what, a Boo Weekley is?

Good question. Here are a few pertinent bio facts from the PGA Tour media guide:

Residence: Jay, Fla.

Education: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Special interests: Hunting, fishing.

You might recall Boo from his time time on the PGA Tour in 2002, when he was quite the story because of his country bumpkin demeanor and his habit of wearing rain pants because he's allergic to cotton. That makes this exchange from his post-victory interview a must-read:

Q. Give us a little background again on your allergy to cotton.

BOO WEEKLEY: I mean, it's polyester/cotton is what I've got on right now. I haven't had no problem with it, which it ain't really got me playing in hot, hot weather yet. I was curious to see how it's going to act. I'm hoping that I won't have no reaction to it.

Q. What happens to you?

BOO WEEKLEY: It just looks like I got ringworm. Have you ever had ringworm?

Q. No (laughter).

BOO WEEKLEY: Ringworm, it's like little pus pockets pop up on your skin there. I mean, it itches, I can tell you that. Bad case of poison ivy is about what it's like.

Q. Poison ivy I've had.

BOO WEEKLEY: It's about like that.

Q. Have you ever considered a comedy club maybe?

BOO WEEKLEY: No, sir, I ain't good at that. I ain't good at it.

Goosen rounds out Exelon

This in from the folks at the Exelon Invy

Organizers of the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk proudly announced PGA Tour star, Retief Goosen, as the final player confirmed for the June 4th golf event at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, PA.

The announcement comes on the heels of another fine Masters tournament appearance by Goosen, a native of South Africa, who finished tied for 2nd place after a Sunday battle with Tiger Woods and eventual champion, Zach Johnson. Goosen finished in 3rd place at the Masters in 2006.

“Retief is a fine player and a great supporter of this event,” commented Exelon Invitational host Jim Furyk. “With the addition of Retief, this is the highest ranked foursome in our nine year history which is a true testament of the event’s success.”

Goosen, currently ranked #8 in the Official PGA Tour World Rankings, last competed in the Exelon Invitational in 2005 when he defeated host Jim Furyk, Mike Weir and Tim Clark in a playoff at Hartefeld National.

The June 4th Exelon Invitational will mark the second year at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, PA. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling 215-336-2000. For more information or to learn about how your company can partner with the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk visit www.exelongolf.com or contact Bryan Furey at 609.393.5838 or Bryan@efkgroup.com

Masters mad dash

I just followed the final pairing of Tiger Woods and Stuart Appleby for a while. After they made the turn and I headed back toward the media center to watch the back nine on the jumbo TVs, I couldn't help but notice a curious Masters tradition -- an early stampede of thousands of "patrons" outtahere.

I first noticed it a couple of years ago, just as the leaders were heading into Amen Corner and the Masters was about to get thrilling. I asked around and was told that many locals get their fill of golf and Augusta National during the morning and early afternoon, then make a mad dash home to watch the big finish on TV. Strange but true.

Lunch at Augusta Redux

I just ate in the Augusta National clubhouse again and, in fairness, it was much better. The food and the service.

This time, I even went for the famous peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

It's freezing

I've just come in from watching the third round of the Masters. Here's a snapshot. No kidding.

Lunch at Augusta National

One of the best things about covering the Masters is that sportswriters have the run of the clubhouse. We can hang around, gawk, act like we belong, even eat lunch in the grill room or out on the balcony overlooking the first tee. It doesn't get much cooler.

In either dining spot, you look around and see big name players, sizzling hot player wives dripping in diamonds, agents, TV guys. Jim Nantz from CBS was at the table next to me yesterday, eating with executive producer Lance Barrow. In the grill room, one wall is devoted to a display case with clubs that were used to win past Masters.

The shame of it is, if not for the whole scene, I'd prefer to be chowing down at Friendly's. We're talking about some seriously so-so fare. And the service is definitely better at Friendly's.

Take my lunch yesterday, for example. I had the seafood chowder ($5), which was okay if you don't mind it lukewarm. And my half club sandwich ($8) was only slightly better than stuff I've gotten out of vending machines.

Three golf writer buddies were at the same table. One of them was served stone cold french fries. When he pointed it out, the waiter brought him another order of fries but later billed him for two orders.

When the bill came for the two other guys at the table, it was so screwed up it took five mintues to straighten it all out. No, I had this, he had that, neither of us had that other thing you charged us for. You know the drill.

Could be worse, of course. I read it snowed at the Phillies game last night.

Paddy Harrington to Exelon

This just in from the Exelon Invy...


Organizers of the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk are pleased to announce that Republic of Ireland native and top ten PGA Tour star, Padraig Harrington, will join Jim Furyk and Charles Howell III at the Exelon Invitational on June 4 at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, PA.

Harrington, 35, has enjoyed a solid start on the PGA Tour in 2007, propelling him to No.10 in the latest PGA Tour Official World Rankings. Harrington has placed in the top 20 in each of the last four PGA Tour events including a 7th place finish at the Nissan Open in February after firing an opening round 63.

The appearance of Harrington on June 4 marks his first trip to Philadelphia for the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk. “Several of the top international PGA Tour players have competed in this event over the past few years,” commented Bryan Furey, director of sports marketing for EFK Group. “It’s our goal to put on a world-class golf event, and it’s a testament to Jim’s (Furyk) reputation on and off the course that the Exelon Invitational attracts top-ranked players such as Padraig.”

Harrington and Exelon Invitational host Jim Furyk have crossed paths several times since both turned pro in the late 1990s. As the pride of the Ireland golf community, and winner of the 2006 European Order of Merit, Harrington was the local favorite at the 2006 Ryder Cup held in Kildare, Ireland. Harrington and fellow PGA Tour star Colin Montgomerie fell to the American duo of Jim Furyk and world-ranked No. 1 Tiger Woods by one hole in the opening round. “Padraig and I have competed on the PGA Tour and in Ryder Cups for some time now. I’m looking forward to having him on my home turf this year, said Furyk. “Both he and Charles Howell III represent one of the finest fields that has ever appeared at this event… golf fans are in for a treat.”

Now in its second year at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, The Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk is anticipating another crowd of nearly 10,000 spectators at this year’s event in June. International players have traditionally drawn well at past Exelon Invitational events.

The Exelon Invitational last year signed a new four-year deal with The ACE Club to host the annual Philadelphia golf tournament. The 2007 Exelon Invitational golf match at The ACE Club will take place on June 4. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling 215-336-2000. For more information or to learn about how your company can partner with the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk visit www.exelongolf.com or contact Bryan Furey at 609.393.5838 or Bryan@efkgroup.com

The Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk, is the only annual professional golf tournament in the Delaware Valley featuring PGA Tour players. A skins match where PGA Tour pros compete for a purse of $300,000, the event attracts an average crowd of 10,000.

Ah, Augusta

I have just come from an hour-long stroll around Augusta National. The weather is 80ish, the course is as green and manicured as always and the azaleas are in full bloom.

The photo above is the old oak tree out back of the clubhouse. In the late afternoon on Monday, the action under the tree is kind of slow. But in the coming days, everybody who is anybody in golf will make their way to hang there for at least a few minutes.

Players pause there for interviews on their walk to the locker room. Swing gurus, agents, club designers, manufacturing titans, famous golf course architects, famous media types and all manner of celebrities and wannabes who can get access inside those ropes grativate to "the tree" to see and be seen, to schmooze and to reassure themselves that they are part of golf's happenin' crowd.

O'Hair makes cut at Houston

Signs are Sean O'Hair is playing his way out of his funk.

O'Hair, 24, from West Chester, who missed five of six cuts at the start of the season, carded rounds of 70-71 at this week's Shell Houston Open. His 3-under total put him tied for 16th after two rounds.

After his lousy start to the year, it's the second cut in a row that O'Hair has made. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he finished T-16th and cashed a check for $96,250.

Pine Valley #1 with Golf Digest

While Pine Valley has slipped to No. 2 with Golf Week, it still ranks No. 1 with Golf Digest.

The magazine, out with its rankings of America's 100 Greatest Courses for 2007/2008, continues to rank the ultra-private South Jersey preserve tops. No. 2 is Shinnicock Hills, No. 3 is Augusta National. Merion, site of the 2013 U.S. Open, holds steady at No. 7.

The only other course from the area to make the list is Galloway National, jumping to 74th from 92nd two years ago.

Exelon bags Charles Howell III

This just in from the Exelon Invy people...


# 2 Ranked Player in 2007 PGA Tour FedExCup Rankings
Joins Jim Furyk at The ACE Club

Organizers of the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk are pleased to announce PGA Tour star Charles Howell III as the first player confirmed to play in the annual golf match to be held on Monday, June 4 at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, PA.

Howell III, 27, is currently ranked #2 in the new PGA Tour FedExCup rankings after a first place finish at the Nissan Open in February. Prior to his first Tour victory at the Nissan Open this year, Howell III finished tied for second at the Sony Open in Hawaii in mid-January, and finished only one stroke behind winner Tiger Woods to take second place at the Buick Invitational just two weeks later.

“Charles is one of the hottest players this season,” said Exelon Invitational host Jim Furyk. “With major championships right around the corner, he is playing as well as anybody on the Tour.” A native of Augusta, GA, Howell III looks to claim his first major championship at The Masters beginning April 5.

Howell III joins the ranks of countless other PGA Tour stars to play alongside Furyk at the Exelon Invitational. “Charles is a great fit for this event,” said Ian McLean, president, Exelon PowerTeam and executive vice president, Exelon Corporation. “With his exciting start to the season, I know we’ll be hearing a lot more about him when June comes around. Exelon is proud to have him join the list of top-ranked players at this event.” Other PGA Tour stars who have played in the Exelon Invitational include: Stuart Appleby, Chad Campbell, John Daly, Chris DiMarco, David Duval, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard, Davis Love III, Nick Price, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, David Toms, Mike Weir and 2004 Winner Phil Mickelson.

Today’s player announcement marks the ninth year that Furyk, a West Chester, PA-native and twelve-time PGA Tour winner, returns to the area to host the competition sponsored by Exelon Corporation. Once again the event will be played at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, PA. This Gary Player signature-designed course plays almost 7500 yards from the back tees, while offering breathtaking views and a state-of-the-art clubhouse.

The Exelon Invitational last year signed a new four-year deal with The ACE Club to host the annual Philadelphia golf tournament. The 2007 Exelon Invitational golf match at The ACE Club will take place on June 4. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling 215-336-2000. For more information or to learn about how your company can partner with the Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk visit www.exelongolf.com or contact Bryan Furey at 609.393.5838 or Bryan@efkgroup.com

O'Hair makes cut

Sean O'Hair, mired in the worst patch of his young career, will play the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

O'Hair, 24, from West Chester, added a second round of even par 70 Friday to his first round 66, giving him a 4-under par total, tied for 9th in mid-afternoon.

That's a step in the right direction for O'Hair, who had missed five of six cuts this year heading into Bay Hill. Before this week, his best finish of the year was T-56 at the Nissan Open.

Mickelson on Mickelson

I'd hit driver again.

No question.

Put me on the 18th hole at Winged Foot, needing par to win, and I'm doing exactly what I tried to do last June: carve a baby slice and chase it down the fairway to set up an iron to the green, two-putt for my first U.S. Open and my third straight major.

And so begins a l-o-n-g piece in ESPN: The Magazine headlined "Failure Fuels Me." Good stuff. Lefty answers his critics, apologizes to no and pretty much vows to keep on keepin' on.

If you're a fan of Mickelson -- or of golf, for that matter -- it's must-see stuff, chock full of some of the most candid comments you're likely to hear from Mickelson or anybody else in this day and age.

For example:

People say it all the time: I take too many risks, and it costs me titles. I've been hearing for years that I have to change my style in order to win. Well, let me ask this: Are Johnny Miller, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Lee Trevino, Davis Love and Fred Couples great players? Of course they are. Those are some of the game's most heralded names. And somehow, I've won more PGA Tour events than any of them. So I have to wonder: Shouldn't my game be emulated more than criticized? Should I change my style and win less? Or should more players try to do what I do and maybe win more? Just throwing it out there.

You go, girl! -- er, ah, Phil.

For the whole thing, click here.

What it's like to be Tiger

Imagine if everywhere you went, people were calling your name and shoving something in front of your face, demanding you sign it. Welcome to Tiger Woods' world.

In the Orlando Sentinel, columnist David Whitley offers a peek into that world at the Arnold Palmer Invitational:

He glides past a woman holding a poster. She says it's the fourth straight year he ignored her."He was so rude," she said. "He just walked right by."

For the rest of the column, click here.

Leonard languishing

If you think Sean O'Hair is struggling, he's on top of the world compared to the slump in which Justin Leonard finds himself mired

So far this year, the 1997 British Open champ and one-time Ryder Cup star has missed six straight cuts and plummeted to 210th in the World Golf Rankings. He hasn't qualified to play in any of this year's majors. Very unfamiliar territory for the Dallas native, who recently dumped swing coach Butch Harmon in favor of his old coach, Randy Smith.

For more details, here's a good story on Leonard's predicament in the Dallas Morning News.

New Golf Galaxy store

Not to promote one chain of golf stores over any other, but Golf Galaxy is opening a new store in Langhorne tomorrow, its fourth in the Philadelphia area.

Until they sent me a press kit the other day, I was unaware that Golf Galaxy, the retail giant, had expanded beyond the original local outlet in Berywn, off Rt. 202, in the western suburbs. Turns out they have quietly added storefronts in Mt. Laurel, N.J. , in the east, and Christiana, DE., in the south.

At tomorrow's grand opening, Golf Galaxy is offering free swing analysis and giveaways.

Beatin' that first bucket

When the thermometer outside the window of my home office hit 75 degrees at noon today, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer.

I slammed my laptop closed, stuffed my pasty white legs into a pair of shorts and tossed my clubs into the trunk. I didn't have time to play 18, but I sure had time to bang a jumbo bucket. In no time at all I was at the Golf Zone in Horsham, making all kinds of horrible creaking sounds and grunting noises as I tried to get limber after a long winter's sloth. Other than taking a few swats at an indoor range, I hadn't touched a club since my last round of the season in late November in Florida.

I wasn't the only one with the same idea. The Golf Zone was doing a brisk lunchtime business. By my intitial count, there were 15 guys hitting balls. More guys were arriving by the minute. I bowed in reverence to the fella who had his twin sons, who were maybe a year old, parked in a double-seater baby stroller next to his mat, watching their Dad beat balls.

Naturally, I hit the ball great. I'd excited about that, except that I always hit that first bucket or two of the season great. Sometimes, the greatness even extends into my first actual round of the season. But along about that second or third round, the doubt starts to creep back into my mind and into my swing. This ain't my first rodeo. By then, it's only a matter of time before I'm sailing tee shots two fairways over.

Not to get all doomsday about it, but my guess is it'll happen next week in Miami, when I try to sneak in a round while I'm covering the WGC-CA Championship. Wish me luck.

2008 U.S. Open tix on sale

This just in from the USGA...

USGA MEMBERS OFFERED FIRST CHANCE FOR 2008 U.S. OPEN TICKETS

Far Hills, N.J. (3/14/07) – USGA Members have the chance to buy week-long ticket packages for the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif., before they go on sale to the general public, the United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced. The 2008 Championship will be played from June 9-15.

Ticket applications are available online at www.usga.org/tickets. Weekly grounds packages are $400 each. An upscale Trophy Club package for the week is $595.

The deadline for Members to submit a ticket application is 5 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, April 15. After that time, a random drawing will be conducted from among submitted Member applications. All Members will be notified of their status before the general public sale begins in June. Members who have been unsuccessful in their bid to purchase tickets in advance may re-submit an application for the general public sale random drawing in August.


The U.S. Open has sold out for the past 21 years and it undoubtedly will sell out again for 2008, since this will be the first time the Open will be played at Torrey Pines.

The U.S. Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs

Pine Valley slips to No. 2

In addition to the state-by-state rankings of courses you can play, the latest issue of Golfweek offers its ranking of the top modern and classic courses.

Among the classics (before 1960), for the second consecutive year, perennial No. 1 Pine Valley plays bridesmaid to top-ranked Cypress Point in California. From history, I know the folks at Pine Valley tend to shrug these things off. Ho-hum, we're still Pine Valley.

In other developments, Merion (East), which has had tons of publicity in the past couple of years because of the 2005 U.S. Amateur and the 2013 U.S. Open, has crept up the rankings from 7th to 4th place this year, behind only Cypress, the Valley and Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.

Oakmont, outside Pittsburgh, host of this year's Open, holds steady at No. 6.

The biggest shocker in this year's rankings is Augusta National, host of the Masters, in virtual free-fall, dropping from No. 3 last year down to 10th. Wonder what that's about?

Golfweek's Top Courses

Golfweek's latest ranking of Best Courses is out and it's clear to me I've got some work to do and some golf courses to play.

Of the magazine's Top 10 courses open to the public in Pennsylvania, I have not played half of them -- and I'm a course rater for Golfweek, for crying out loud.

Chief among the courses whose pro shop doorways I have yet to darken are No. 1, Olde Stonewall, out in in Ellwood City, and No. 2., Nemacolin Woodlands (Mystic Rock Course) in Farmington, way out west.

I also haven't played No. 4, Great Bear, a Jack Nicklaus design up in the Poconos in East Stroudsburg; No. 7, Wren Dale, out west in Hummelstown; and No. 10., The Links at Gettysburg.

Of the courses on the list I have played, I'm not exactly down with where Golfweek ranks them. I do like where No. 3, the Golf Course at Glen Mills, ranks. I'm also a big fan of Hershey Country Club (Old Course), in 5th.

Personally, I'm a big fan of No. 6 on the list, the Club at Morgan Hill, in Easton, a Kelly Blake Moran layout that has escaped the notice of many golfers in Philadelphia. From the people I've talked to who've played it, Morgan Hill, hilly and quirky, is one of those courses that golfers tend to really like or dismiss.

I'm definitely not a huge fan of No. 8-ranked Lederach, in Harleysville, another Moran course, that I found a little over the top. But Lederach has now been recognized by two magazines, so I'm going to return to in the spring for another look.

I also believe No. 9 Raven's Claw, in Limerick, Ed Shearon's best work to date, is a good course that is only going to get better as it matures.

That brings us to Golfweek's ranking of New Jersey courses you can play. For my money, it's a better bunch of coures than Pennsylvania's.

For starters, Atlantic City Country Club, ranked No. 1, is a true treat, even if the prime-time, in-season rate ($206) is enough to gag most golfers.

As for the rest:

No. 2, Ballyowen. Haven't played it.

3. Pine Barrens. I'm fine with it being on the list, but not this high.

4. Twisted Dune. Love it, or loved it the last time I played three years ago. Unique course.

5. Sand Barrens. More visually intimidating than it really is.

6. Neshanic Valley. Haven't played it.

7. Pine Hill. One of my fave modern courses around Philadelphia. Should be higher on the list.

8. Blue Heron Pines (East). It's closed to make way for a residential development, so it shouldn't even be on the list. But the fact that is is closed is a crime against golf.

9. Royce Books (East). Terrific course that gets little attention in Philadelphia.

10. Vineyards at Renault Winery. Getting better with age.

Tiger to play in the Arnie

A week ago, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which Tiger Woods won four years in a row when it was the Bay Hill Invitational, wasn't listed his website's schedule as being among his upcoming events.

This year would have been the first time ever he skipped the Orlando tournament, and talk had already started that Tiger was "dissing" The King.

The Arnie is back.

Minutes ago, Tiger's latest monthly newsletter landed in my emailbox, returning the tourney to his schedule.

D.C.'s new tourney: AT&T National

AT&T National, that's the word out of a press conference today to unveil many of the details of the new Fourth of July week tournament hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

This year, the likely venue will be Congressional Country Club, site of the 1997 U.S. Open, but the longterm home is unclear.

One big question for this year is whether Tiger will play. Wife Elin is due to have to baby in July.

For the full announcement from the PGA Tour, click here.

Sandbagging

If you saw the story in the Inquirer on the Golf Association of Philadelphia going after sandbaggers, you might want to know more.

Here's a link to the press release from GAP, with all the details.

And here's a link to an execellent website run by Dean Knuth, the Pope of Slope, best known for his years running the handicap system for the USGA.

Oakmont's bridge to the Open

If not for a $500,000 pedestrian bridge that Oakmont Country Club built over the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2003, the Pittsburgh-area club never would have landed this year's U.S. Open.

(If you missed the '94 Open, the course is dissected by the turnpike.)

Gerry Dulac tells the tale of the bridge in the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette.

Why Match Play Doesn't Work

Here's interestng story from the NY Times, penned by a former member of the Metropolitan Golf Association, offering his theory on why match play tournaments often turn out to be snoozers, missing the best players in the finals. Makes a lot of sense to me.


Here's the "nut graf," as we say in newspapers:

First, in single elimination, the winner has to be dominant or lucky. A golfer of Woods’s superiority should make it to the finals just about every year. But a simple statistical analysis can show that even a player with an 80 percent chance of winning each match has only about a 40 percent chance of making it through five rounds to the finals. Against most golfers, Woods is that dominant. So why does he get knocked out early so often? Unlucky?


There is a deeper reason, one rooted in the nature and scoring of the two games. In golf, although the pros take 70 or so strokes a full round, they have at most 18 chances to win or lose a hole, or a point, in match play. The story is much different in tennis. In a three-set match with an average of 10 games a set and 6 points a game, there are 180 chances to win or lose a point. That is 10 times more opportunities to determine the winner.

Ogilvy: Good interview, good guy

In this week's Golf World magazine, Jaime Diaz weighs in with a back page column that declares Geoff Ogilvy, the reigning U.S. Open champion who lost Sunday in the finals of the Accenture Match Play, to be the best interview in golf

To that, I say: You got dat right, man.

Personally, I didn't know Ovilgy from Adam's house cat until this time last year, when I covered the Match Play, which he won, in its final year at La Costa. What I remember most from that week -- other than him beating Davis Love III in the finals -- were Ogilvy's interviews as he progressed through the field.

He was engaging, refreshingly honest and forth-coming and clearly intelligent -- in other words, a welcome departure from some of the sullen, uncooperative stars who suffer through interviews like they were a case of irritable bowel syndrome.

Ogilvy made a fan of me then and there. Not only did he have game, which became even more evident at Winged Foot, but he was shades of Jack Nicklaus in the interview room -- the standard bearer in golf for good interviews.

Ogilvy, an Aussie who lives in Scottsdale these days, truly convinced me he was a good guy the night he won the Open. As it happened, he was among the players staying in the same hotel as most of the media. After his victory that life-changing Sunday night, he didn't go out on the town in New York City to celebrate. Instead, he went back to the hotel, changed into jeans and a tee shirt, then came down to the lobby bar in the hotel -- trophy in hand -- with his wife to hang out.

No fanfare. No big-timing. No keeping fans at bay. Ogilvy sat there, obviously happy but quiet and subdued, chatting with anybody and everybody, posing for a few snapshots with friends and fans.

Name that Tiger cub

In the true spirit of poking its nose in places where the media is not welcome, the folks at MSNBC.com are conducting a reader poll on what to name the gentically and circumstantially gifted offspring of Tiger and Elin Woods.

The suggestions have been whittled down to a dozen finalists, six girl names and six boys names. They are:

If it's a boy:

Calvin
Earl
Eldrick Jr.
Major
Nicolas
Tiger Jr.

If it's a girl:

Annika
Birdie
Earla/Earlene
Elin
Katherine
Magnolia

For the whole story and to vote, click here.

In early polling Earl and Katherine -- to be shortened to Kat -- are the leaders in the clubhouse.

Prez Cup to San Francisco

This just in from the PGA Tour. In 2009, the Presidents Cup is headed to Harding Park in San Francisco.

PGA TOUR ANNOUNCES THE PRESIDENTS CUP AND OTHER FUTURE EVENTS FOR HARDING PARK

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fl -- The PGA TOUR today announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with the City of San Francisco on the scheduling of future TOUR events at the City’s Harding Park Golf Course.

The agreement is subject to the approval, expected within 45 days, of the City’s Recreation and Park Commission and Board of Supervisors. Under the terms of the agreement, Harding Park will serve as the host venue for The Presidents Cup in 2009; the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the Champion’s Tour season-ending event, in 2010 and 2011; an event from the four-tournament PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup series in either 2013 or 2014; and one additional event in the period 2014-2019 to be selected from among The Presidents Cup, a Playoff for the FedExCup event or a World Golf Championships event.

“We are absolutely delighted to reach this agreement with the City, ensuring that Harding Park will continue to periodically serve as the site for some of the TOUR’s premier events,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “As our experience with the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship proved in October, 2005, the golf course is a wonderful venue for the world’s best players, and San Francisco is a terrific host city. Our players and sponsors had a tremendous experience at Harding Park, and we are eagerly looking forward to our return.”

The first guy to beat Tiger -- ever

Here's a link to terrific story by Jason Sobel from ESPN.com, who found the first kid who ever beat Tiger in match play back in junior golf. It still sticks in Tiger's craw...

MARANA, Ariz. -- Tiger Woods remembers the match like it was yesterday. "I was 13," he said earlier this week. "James Mohon." He doesn't smile at the recollection, doesn't hide his displeasure for the memory.

For more, click here.

D.C. tournament replaces International

As I predicted a few weeks ago, the PGA Tour has indeed filled the July 4th week hole in the schedule left by The International with a new bigger and better tournament in Washington D.C.

Here's the lede graf of the announcement...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR, in conjunction with the Tiger Woods Foundation, announced today that the TOUR will return to Washington, D.C. as a result of the two organizations reaching a long-term agreement to create a new PGA TOUR event in the nation's capital, beginning in July, 2007.

For the whole annoucement, click here.

I nailed this sucker a few weeks ago. Read on from Feb. 11...

On Golf:

Hopes for Tour stop in Philly are in vain

Joe Logan

Inquirer Columnist

If you saw that item in the paper a few days ago about the PGA Tour's considering Philadelphia for a tournament, here's a piece of advice: Don't get your hopes up.

True enough, in Associated Press reports last week about the sudden demise of the International, the 21-year-old Tour stop outside Denver, Philadelphia was mentioned as a major market without a tournament that might fill the gap. Washington, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore., were also mentioned.

The e-mails poured in, not surprisingly. Could Philadelphia really be a candidate for a tournament to fill the very attractive July Fourth week gap on the Tour's schedule?
Sorry, but don't shoot the messenger.

If I was a betting man, I'd put up a few bucks, or a dozen Pro V1s, that in a month or so commissioner Tim Finchem will announce that the week in question will be filled by a newly created tournament in Washington.

If you're saying, hey, they've already got the Booz Allen Classic, perhaps you didn't notice it's gone from the schedule this year. When the Tour inexplicably bumped the tournament from its prime June date on the calendar to the "Fall Series" - the seven tournaments after the Tour Championship that nobody cares about - the chairman of Booz Allen yanked the sponsorship and killed the tournament.

So, why do I think D.C. is a shoo-in?

When I called late last week, Bob Combs, a top Tour spokesman, told me that they're already far enough along in the process of replacing the International that they expect to announce a new tournament - city undisclosed, thank you - within 30 to 45 days. Suffice it to say I did not come away with the impression that Philadelphia would be that city.

Next, I made a few phone calls around town to people who I figured would likely have at least heard something - whispers, rumors - if the Tour was sniffing around Philadelphia, let alone being 30 days from making an announcement about a tournament here.

Zippo. Nobody's heard nuthin'.

Finally, I called one of those high-powered, behind-the-scenes guys I know in golf, who shall remain nameless so that he continues to take my calls.

From what he hears, no, Philadelphia is not in the picture.

"They're focused on Washington," he said. "And from what I hear, there will be a Tiger element to this event."

A bit of a conspiracy theorist, he made to sound like the whole changing of the tournaments could very well have been quietly orchestrated by the Tour. You know, squeeze out a couple of older, lesser tournaments to make way for a new, bigger, better one, that is owned and run by the Tour.

Philadelphia? A mere diversion, along with the other cities.

Sounds plausible to me. After all, for a former White House aide like Finchem who knows how the influence game is played, how better to win friends in high government places than by bringing a new tournament with Tiger Woods - he never played Booz Allen - to the nation's capital on that most American of holidays, Fourth of July week?

U-grooves, V-grooves, U-snooze

In a much-anticipated attempt to dial back golf equipment, the U.S. Golf Association, along the with R & A, on Tuesday proposed new rules pertaining to the U-grooves on irons and wedges.

For about 99 percent of us golfers, no big deal. It's at the most elite levels of the game, where U-grooves and V-grooves, on the face of irons makes a difference in the spin control of the ball.

Still, if your head is swimming trying to understand what it all means, read this story from Golf Digest last fall.

Ahhhh, choooo. OUCH!

So, what happened to Jay Sigel at last week's ACE Group Classic?

Jay shoots 4-under 68 in the first round on Friday, then WDs before his round on Saturday. Rib injury. Bad sneeze.

That's the official word from Champions Tour media official Phil Stambaugh, after talking to Jay's wife, Betty. "Betty told me he sneezed and pulled something in his ribs," said Stambaugh. Word is, Betty rolled her eyes as she gave the medical report, as if to wonder what else can go wrong for the oft-injured Sigel.

Americans sinking fast...

If we weren't already in full-blown panic about the state of golf in America, we ought to be after the Accenture Match Championship.

Not only did a Swede, for crying out loud, win, but the other finalist along with Henrik Stenson was an Australian, Geoff Ogilvy. In the consolation match, a South African, Trevor Immelman, thumped the only American among the final four, Chad Campbell.

That brings us to a quick review of the latest World Golf Rankings, just out today. Americans still rank 1st, 2nd and 3rd, thank you very much Tiger, Furyk and Phil. But after that, just try to find a US of A-born player until you hit 15th, Charles Howell III.

It does not bode well for the US in the Ryder Cup or this year's Presidents Cup.

1. Tiger

2. Furyk

3. Phil

4. Adam Scott, Aus

5. Henrik Stenson, Sweden

6. Ernie Els, South Africa

7.Geoff Ogivly, Aus

8. Retief Goosen, South Africa

9.Vijay Singh, Fijay

10. Luke Donald, England

11. Padraig Harrington, Ireland

12. Trevor Immelman, South Africa

13. Sergio Garcia. Spain

14. Paul Casey, England

15. Howell , USA