Click here to listen. Tiger Woods was defeated at Bethpage Black not once but twice in one month! The first loss came at the 2009 U.S. Open where Woods’ putter let him down. Lucas Glover, a relative “apprentice” on the PGA Tour, defeated the top brass there and Tiger probably needed to convince himself that it was the man, not the course, that kicked his butt. Seeking out a “rematch” of sorts, Woods took on SNL comedian Jimmy Fallon where it seemed certain that Tiger would triumph and gain bragging rights on the ‘Black’. But this match did not ‘officially’ take ...

Click here to listen. After watching the struggles of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (among the other great golfers) at the 109th US Open, it can be said that this was the year of the initiate, not the veteran. Lucas Glover, who had only won once in his career on the PGA Tour astounded and amazed the crowd with his steely gaze, focus and lack of emotion while both Woods and Mickelson fell short of the basic skills needed to get the job done. One can almost compare Glover to the lovely Natalie Gulbis who has also had a single ...

Click here to listen. What do Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera all have in common? Aside from major victories in 2008, all three will be grouped together during the first two rounds of the 109th U.S. Open. This was a smart pairing by tournament officials as each has a story to tell. Tiger Woods is not only the defending champion (holding off Rocco Mediate and a bum knee) but also held on to victory (and a score of par) in 2002 at Bethpage with Phil Mickelson on his tail. With fourteen majors under his belt, a fresh win at the ...

Click here to listen. John Daly says that he is finally done with the “drama” in his life, has signed an endorsement deal with both an energy drink company and Loudmouth Clothes and is returning to the PGA Tour at the St. Jude Championship next week courtesy of a sponsor’s exemption. He will also attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open. Another major win? Daly maintains that his confidence, his fighting spirit and his “feel for the game” will direct him in a positive direction. John has played solidly in Europe, honing his skills with the assistance of golf instructor Rick ...

Click here to listen. The public usually sees LPGA and PGA Tour golfers as an illustrious and highly regarded group, quotable and predictable in their demeanor. You rarely hear about an offensive or derogatory slur and, if you do, it is quietly handled by the powers-that-be (unless John Daly is involved and then it becomes fodder). Michelle Wie, for example, is becoming one of the more quotable golfers on the LPGA Tour. She is highly visible to the media and her public image is full of aplomb. Her most recent stylized excerpt? “You know, like I always say, dream high and stuff, ...

Click here to listen. With the excitement surrounding “the new and improved” John Daly’s return to the PGA Tour and the buzz encircling 2008 Rolex Rookie of the Year Yani Tseng’s win at the Corning Classic with an upcoming second major try at the McDonalds LPGA Championship, golfers are getting out onto the course in droves attempting to mimic the shots of the professionals. More often than not, amateurs are stepping to the back tees and seeing more of the golf course than need be, and this usually refers to the men! Does this sound like you, Mr. Macho? Whereas women, ...

Click here to listen. Another Sunday another myriad of mishaps, this time at the Sybase Classic. Just chalk it up to more experience for Michelle Wie. With the press and fans clamoring for a win, all MW can do at this point is to offer up hope that, one day, things will be different, that one day she will break through barriers and the world will rejoice. “I’m trying my hardest out there. Most importantly, I’m having fun,” claimed Wie, knowing that she once again had to defend her fragile ego as computer keyboards eagerly clicked out another story ...

Click here to listen. PGA Tour title sponsor negotiations are in high gear as a number of agreements will expire in 2010. With a current bailout of six mainstays and a weakened economy looming, options are dwindling despite the aggressive efforts of Tim Finchem. Crowne Plaza is the most recent sponsor to jump ship two years before its scheduled exit date and takes along with it seven million dollars in endorsement and media commitments. FBR and Ginn are two additional casualties leaving Tim Finchem to bemoan, “We’ve obviously had, and are having, some bumps in the road.” Temporary declines in attendance ...

Click here to listen. “It’s difficult to think of you as a loser, but hey, you’re a loser.” sniggled David Feherty, as he interviewed Tiger Woods after a mediocre performance at Quail Hollow. You can lose but that certainly doesn’t make you a loser… Of course the above was said jokingly as Woods could never never be a loser. Aside from his recent victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Tiger has a total of sixty-six career PGA Tour wins under his belt with some events (like the Buick Invitational) being won six times by Woods! But did pre-surgery Tiger have better survival instincts? ...

During the 2008 Sybase Classic, Annika Sorenstam mentioned that she would be “stepping away” from competitive golf, careful not to use the “r” word. Carolyn Bivens, worried that fans might lose interest in the LPGA, also made it perfectly clear that Annika did not say the word “retirement” but confirmed that “She plans to end her competitive career". One translation? Annika slipped into second place in the money rankings just below Ochoa and could not seem to climb back into contention. Not to take anything away from a golfer who had seventy-two career wins but Sorenstam was busy building outside interests ...

Click here to listen. Soon after Tiger Woods sat in on a news conference to promote his third year as host of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club, he shuttled off to the White House to take a tour hosted by President Barack Obama. Light witticisms were bandied about at Congressional with Tiger answering questions about his knowledge of the Swedish language which all boiled down to sayings every man should know like, “clean the house” and “wash dishes": every man that is, except for the billion-dollar variety like Woods! But what could the President want to know from Tiger ...

Click here to listen. For the average golfer who dreams of one day getting a big break and playing on tour, consider the “fantasy tour” instead unless you come equipped with a low handicap, solid-looking swing and a glowing camera presence. The golfers from season-one of the Big Break (2003) were chosen by open audition with the main prerequisities being “scratch” handicap and demonstrative proficiency with various types of shots. Personality, of course, also had to be “engaging” to the viewer as Jay Kossoff, Senior Producer of the Golf Channel, once said, “positively or negatively". Eleven seasons later, the Big Break: Prince ...

Click here to listen. “You’ve got to focus through the ficus” and “concentrate on being great!” Although these “Woods of Wisdom” are rhythmically repeated during the new Tiger Gatorade Focus commercial, it didn’t seem as if TW took the advice as he could barely control his “band-aid swing” for much of the Sunday Masters rally against Phil Mickelson. Still, the finale averaged a 6.9 rating/12 share with CBS thanking it’s lucky stars that Phil and Tiger tied in the third round and that Masters officials were smart enough to realize that the pairing would exude fireworks. Eight years later and ...

Click here to listen. Will Tiger Woods have any identifiable adversaries at this years Masters Tournament? Gazing into the PGA Tour crystal ball and deciding which golfers could make a move against Woods lead one to believe that Tiger is on par to win his fifth green jacket at Augusta! In all fairness, any one golfer could disrupt Tiger’s equilibrium long enough to gain ground. In 2007 relative unknown Zach Johnson “just tried to maintain my focus, maintain my game plan” in order to effectively tame Tiger at the Masters. Trevor Immelman emerged victorious in 2008, leaving Tiger in a second place ...

One possible way for Phil Mickelson to become the number one PGA Tour golfer in the world, toppling Tiger Woods, is closely tied in to his finish at this weekend’s Shell Houston Open. In order to turn his dreams into reality, Mickelson is going to have to sharpen his putting skills. According to his website, Mickelson has improved in all areas of his game except in putts per round. Out of six events, Phil now has two 2009 victories so it appears that the only way Mickelson can lose is if his mental game shatters, which it has been prone to ...