I like a good sports blooper as much as the next guy. And Woody Austin’s tumble into a creek at the Presidents Cup today made Jean Van de Velde’s bare-legged folly at Carnoustie seem civilized. But while we all pile on the American Team’s dunce, let’s not forget the true character in Austin, who shook off hilarious heckles of “Marco! Polo!” from Canadian fans to finish with three birdies and halve his match Friday versus the Internationals. Austin is known for snapping his putter from excessive head-butting and ill-advised Tiger Woods comments But his clutch, three-birdie performance in his first ...

Five pleasant surprises from my maiden voyage to Biloxi, Mississippi: 1. Hard Rock Hotel: I’m not big on “themed” properties like the Venetian in Las Vegas or Legends in concert in Myrtle Beach that features Elvis and Garth Brooks look-a-likes (although Medieval Times rules, but only if you dress up as a peasant and take a girl on a first date there). When I’m at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, I find how the front desk answers the phone, “How may I ‘rock’ your world” a little cheesy…but the rooms at this joint are fantastic. I’m used ...

On paper, the International Team for the Presidents Cup looks stronger than the 2006 European Ryder Cup team that laid a serious beat down on the U.S. There are more Top 20 players in the field this week than at the Ryder Cup. After Thursday’s opening matches in Montreal, it looks like an early route for the U.S., who didn’t lose a single match to lead by five points. Down in Mississippi Wednesday, I played in the Viking Classic Pro-Am with American up-and-comer Charley Hoffman. He’s never played in the Ryder Cup or President’s Cup, but it’s a goal of ...

This morning I woke up to belt sanders and screaming carpenters. It’s that time of year when the condo I live in gets a makeover. It’s great for resale value and probably keeps the homeless from thinking it’s abandoned. But I don’t own the unit, so all I know is that my door has wet paint on it and I can’t sleep in past 8 a.m. So I ended up coming into the office unusually early and got a lot of blank stares from co-workers who aren’t used to my presence while on their first cup of coffee. This isn’t ...

The most significant difference that separates humans from all other earthly life forms is the consciousness of how we dispense bodily waste. It is unacceptable among social circles to relieve ourselves voluntarily - the lone exception being the baby pool. Scientists also confirm the theory of evolution cannot be proven until a family of monkeys is seen using a toilet not under duress or in a circus, but out of their own free will. This chasm causes a culture clash among humans and the rest of the animal kingdom in many walks of life. The battle is prevalent in our ...

I’ve been saying since January that I don’t care if the University of Michigan football goes 1-11 this year, as long as that one “W” is finally vs. Ohio State. I didn’t know that was a real possibility. As we await Saturday’s marquee Tickle Fight between 0-2 laughing stocks Michigan and Notre Dame, this could be the first year Michigan doesn’t have a winning record in a long, long time. At least Michigan isn’t to the sad level of Notre Dame yet. They dumped a good coach in Tyrone Willingham in favor of immediate results from a video-taping sidelines cheater: ...

Phil Mickelson is the cause of most of my golf-related mood swings lately. While some browse the internet for hours looking for Britney Spears VMA reaction or suggesting substances to test on Willitblend.com, I’m usually up all night trying to decide whether I like Phil’s candid demeanor and go-for-broke playing style - or loathe the fact that his game between the ears have led to a decade of a mostly empty rivalry between him and Tiger Woods - a rivalry that could have been one of the best ever. The origins of my Mickelson obsession came when I was reporting ...

I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with another American on US soil about the Walker Cup. In three visits to the UK and Ireland in the last year, I was engaged in banter almost daily about it with Brits or Irish or Scots, and my contributions were generally far less insightful. It’s a shame the Walker Cup isn’t on the hearts and minds as much over here. It’s one of the great amateur matches and spotlights some of the budding stars of tomorrow. Tiger Woods played in the 1995 Walker Cup at Royal Porthcawl. Of course, it’s ...

Only in the World Amateur Handicap Championships can a high-handicapper whose swing is fluid as a Tourette’s attack beat out nearly 4,000 other golfers to win a $650 prize and a trophy as big as the Stanley Cup. I’ll admit, I never saw winner June Wang’s swing this week, but who among us lower-handicaps have witnessed a 27.5-handicap’s swing that didn’t cause instant indigestion? The World Am isn’t really designed for us single-digit handicappers to win the overall crown. In the tournament’s 24-year history, a single-digit handicap has won the overall title only twice. Even still, it’s a great ...