It appears that if Michelle Wie is to play in the 2008 U.S. Womens Open, she’ll have to earn her way on. … The USGA has hired a new Managing Director of Communications, Chris Wightman. … Luke Donald is the latest to join the field at the star-studded Qatar Masters next month. … Sure, the awards have all been passed out, but the important ones are given out by the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, and you can find out the winners and losers at BadGolfer.com.

World No. 1 women’s golfer Lorena Ochoa has been honored as the AP Female Athlete of the Year. Ochoa became the first LPGA Tour player to exceed $4 million in earnings in one season this year and won her first major, the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews … “There were a lot of people saying I wasn’t good enough, or that I couldn’t win a major, or when am I going to win a major,” Ochoa said after her victory on the Old Course. “And I always have taken all of the comments and understood very well because I didn’t ...

The Golf Writers Association of America has voted Tiger Woods, Lorena Ochoa and Jay Haas players of the year on their respective tours for the second consecutive year. Woods has received the honor a record nine times in the last 11 years … At TravelGolf.com, Tim McDonald reviews the new Leopard’s Chase golf course at Ocean Ridge Plantation.

ESPN, CBS Sports and London’s Daily Telegraph have reported that Michelle Wie will not play in men’s events and focus more on the LPGA in 2008. “I think she just wants to reestablish herself,” Leadbetter told CBS Sports. “Obviously, after such a terrible year, her biggest goal needs to be getting her form and confidence back. You do that brick by brick.” The reports say that Wie may consider teeing it up against the men on the Asian Tour in late 2008, however. For more on this story, click here.

The USGA will award former President Bush with the Bob Jones Award in honor of his distinguished sportsmanship in golf. Bush’s grandfather, George Herbert Walker, was a former president of the USGA … “I’m very flattered to receive this award,” Bush said in a statement. “Golf has meant a lot to me. It means friendship, integrity and character.” Tiger Woods will skip the 2008 PGA Tour opener, the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua, for the third straight year. Woods, who won last week’s Target World Challenge, has said he wants to spend time at home before starting the next season … At TravelGolf.com, ...

Tiger Woods won his eighth event of 2007 Sunday with a command victory at the Target World Challenge, which he also hosts. Woods finished with a 4-under 68 to win by seven strokes and culminate a monumental year, both professionally and personally … “This year on the golf course, it’s been a great year,” Woods told the media. “Off the golf course, it’s been the greatest year I’ve ever had.” A closing 1-under-par 71 earned James Kingston the South African Open title this weekend. Kingston beat Oliver Wilson by a stroke on the Pearl Valley Golf Estates course … Meanwhile, Annika Sorenstam won ...

Jim Furyk shot a 4-under-par 68 at Sherwood Country Club yesterday to take the first round lead at the Target World Challenge. Masters champion Zach Johnson and event host Tiger Woods are one stroke back … Nick O’Hern and Kim Felton both shot 6-under 66 today in Sydney to go ahead of the pack at the Australian Open. They have a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field … Meanwhile, Robert Rock is ahead by a stroke at the South African Open after opening with a 2-under 70 yesterday. Rock had five birdies in windy conditions Thursday … “It was rewarding and ...

An Irish magazine that published fake nude pictures of Tiger Woods’ wife Elin Nordegren during the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches apologized to the former model and agreed to pay undisclosed damages … “The false and deeply offensive article in The Dubliner magazine, with the accompanying photograph of another woman wrongly claimed to be me, caused great personal distress to me and my family,” Nordegren said in a statement. Who was the best golfer of 2007? Tiger Woods, right? Maybe not. Jason Sobel and Bob Harig discuss this lofty question in ESPN.com’s Alternate Shot … In the TravelGolf.com This Week podcast, host Dave Berner ...

John Bickerton won the Alfred Dunhill Championship Sunday after Ernie Els, who went into 18 with a two-stroke lead, triple bogeyed the last hole to finish a stroke behind the Englishman. This is Bickerton’s third European Tour title … Woody Austin and teammate Mark Calcavecchia won the Merrill Lynch Shootout Sunday after the former made a 35-foot putt on the 18th hole. They beat event host Greg Norman and Bubba Watson by one shot … Meanwhile, Peter Lonard earned his third Australian PGA title this weekend. He shot a final round 7-under-par 65 for a three-stroke victory. David Smail finished second, and ...

ESPN will televise next year the annual Par 3 Contest played before the Masters, the first time the event will be broadcast to the public. Tournament players, past champions and invitees have participated in the tournament on a nine-hole golf course on the grounds of Augusta since the 1960s. It’s been won by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead … Sion Bebb has a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He shot a 5-under-par 67 yesterday on the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane, South Africa … At TravelGolf.com, Tim McDonald writes about Baneberry Golf ...

A two-month hiatus from the golf course has left Tiger Woods lean and ready to compete in the months before the start of the 2008 PGA Tour season. Woods, who will play in next week’s Target World Challenge, spoke about the much-needed break at a press conference Monday … “I’m looking forward to getting back out and competing,” Woods told the media. “This past week I started really missing getting out there and trying to beat people. Anybody at Isleworth who wants a game, we go out there and play and hopefully the cash goes my way.” Todd Demsey will return to ...

Jane Park won the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament Sunday with a total 17-under 274 to get full 2008 playing status … “I was playing great, so I knew I had a good chance to win,” Park told the media. “Just being able to pull it off was just a great confidence booster. I just proved to myself that I can go pretty deep under par. It’s a great feeling.” Meanwhile, England’s Richard Finch came out ahead of the field at the New Zealand Open this weekend for his first victory as a professional. Finch, 30, closed with a 72 for a three-stroke ...