The Weetabix Women's British Open

No surprise who won this one. Jeong Jang won by by 4 over Sophie Gustafson. Michelle Wie tied for third. Paula Creamer didn't do well on the last day; she was one over for the day. Brandie Burton shot a 7 under 65 which looks to be the low round of the day.

The US Senior Open

So, Allen Doyle came from out of nowhere to win with a score of 10 under (8 under today). Let this be a lesson to all those who pick the front runner or the big name (like everyone picks Tiger Woods for everything). It's very rare that I pick someone to win a tournament. I did pick Greg Norman for the Senior British Open and wasn't that far wrong. He did well. Unlike my boss who keeps picking Hale Irwin. It's a shame Loren Roberts didn't do better in this final round. I liked him for a winner. But I'm sure the players would rather someone other than the new guy (who is also the youngest guy) to win once in a while.

The Buick Open

Vijay Singh won the tournament by 4 shots. Zack Johnson and Tiger Woods tied for second and Sean O'Hair continues to do well. Robert Allenby had the low round of the day with 7 under par. Vijay says he's taking next week off to prepare for the PGA Championship. I hope he works a bit more on his putting. It was there with a vengeance yesterday, but not quite as good today. A personal comment: I thought it was rude of Tiger Woods to drive that one hole while the group ahead of him was still on the green. It's not like that was an accident. He knew what he was doing and it seems a bit inconsiderate to the others. Also, the Lanny Wadkins comment "I thought these guys were tour players" or something close to that - I thought that was a bit insensitive as well. The way Wadkins wrongly second guessed Vijay's club selection on the 18th, one could wonder if he too was a tour player at one time.

US Senior Open

This is one of the rare times I wish I had a picture in picture tv. I guess I could tape the US Senior Open while watching the Buick Open, but when I tape something I never actually get around to watching it. Loren Roberts and Craig Stadler are tied going into the final round. I'm sure tomorrow will be exciting. Hopefully, NBC and CBS will be on different commercial schedules so that when CBS is on a commercial break, I can flip over to NBC to see some of their tournament coverage.

The Singh - Woods Pairing

Well, I think maybe Vijay Singh felt a little more competitive today than usual considering he was paired with Tiger Woods. It was a very spirited round, though you might not know it by Singh's lack of expression out there on the course. It was very clear that CBS was banking on both players battling it out. Too bad Tiger didn't keep up; maybe the tv people will learn their lesson and broadcast golf next time instead of Tiger-vision. Oh, and Tiger's little tantrum that was caught on camera today, I forget which hole it was on, was very precious.

Garcia to Return to the International

By Tom Kensler Denver Post Staff Writer

The International just wasn't the same last year without Sergio Garcia attracting a stampede of young fans as if he were a rock star.

Well, he's back. On Thursday, Garcia confirmed a commitment that he announced during the U.S. Open in June, letting International officials know he would return to Castle Pines next week. Garcia, 25, skipped last year's event to practice for the PGA Championship. He had played in five consecutive Internationals since turning professional in 1999.

Garcia won the Booz Allen Classic in June, his sixth PGA Tour victory, and tied for fifth in the British Open two weeks ago. He ranks seventh on the PGA Tour money list.

"Sergio has a huge following and has been playing some of his best golf this year," said Larry Thiel, executive director of The International.

Also committing Thursday were two-time British Open champion Greg Norman, who won the 1989 International; another two-time majors winner, Mark O'Meara; and Steve Pate, who was granted a sponsor's exemption.

The Women's British Open

Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie are 8 shots back, Paula Creamer is 10 back of leader Jeong Jang. Amateur Louise Stahle is in second place. Check out the leaderboard.

The US Senior Open

Tom Watson, Loren Roberts and Craig Stadler are leading so far. Greg Norman is a few shots back. He might be getting a little tired after being off for all those months. Here's the leaderboard.

Els Out With An Injury

by: Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent

Former U.S. Open and British Open champion Ernie Els is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left knee Thursday. Els suffered the injury last week while on a sailing holiday in the Mediterranean, according to information on the player’s website, ErnieEls.com.
....................... Read More ................................

Round 2: Buick Open

Vijay is in the lead. I think I heard that he changed putters. He needed to. Jason Bohn, first time winner on the tour a few weeks ago, is 3 shots back. Billy McKay, the amateur who had the exciting Eagle yesterday, missed the cut. That's disappointing, but I'm sure he will be back on tour some day. Sean O'Hair is 5 shots back, hopefully he will make a move. Here's the leaderboard.

Buick Open

Billy McKay, 17 year old amateur, made an eagle today at the Buick Open. Check out his story here. And here.

The Weetabix Women's British Open

The Women's British Open is also this weekend. I would mention a few players but I just checked the listing of everyone in the field and I figured if I didn't know hardly anyone on the list, it wouldn't be fair to mention just the few I do know. So, here's a link to the field. You all can see for yourself who's playing. And here are the tv times for the Women's British Open:

Jul 28 10:00-12:00 PM ET TNT
Jul 29 10:00-12:00 PM ET TNT
Jul 30 2:00-3:30 PM ET ABC
Jul 31 1:30-3:00 PM ET ABC

The US Senior Open

The US Senior Open is this week. You can catch it on ESPN Thursday and Friday between 12 and 6pm (with 2-4pm off) and then on NBC this weekend from 3-6pm. Peter Jacobsen looks to repeat as champion and Tom Watson looks to continue his good fortune from the Senior British Open with another win.

The Buick Open

Times to watch the Buick Open:

Thursday and Friday: 4-6pm eastern, USA
Saturday and Sunday: 3-6pm eastern, CBS

A New Spotlight

I have featured Ryan Palmer and Euan Walters this week over in the side bar. I keep seeing their names so I thought I would put them on here and then maybe I could stop seeing their names so much :)

Battle At The Bridges

I only got to watch this until 10pm last night. Since I get up at 5am to work out weekdays, I go to bed early. My thoughts:
Retief did pretty good for someone suffering from jet lag.

I think it would drive me nuts to have Phil Mickelson reading my putts for me (If I played golf that is).

Phil reminded me of Tom Cruise - the way he would explain what he thought about putt reading and such reminded me of how Tom Cruise kept trying to convince the world that prescription drugs are bad. Only Phil does hit putts and Tom Cruise has never had post partum depression. Phil may have more credibility there.

As for John Daly, I didn't pay much attention to him because I'm currently reading A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein and I was at the part about Daly's comments just before and during the British Open. I didn't want to think one certain thing or another about Daly last night until I had finished up that part of the book. I wanted to get the whole story first. For me, the story's still out on Daly even after finishing that part of the book. Unfortunately, I have this bad habit of not believing anything I read, see or hear, so I am considering the book as only one source of information and not the only source.

And finally, Tiger Woods - what can I say about his memorable performance? He was in the water, he missed some putts, he went from bunker to bunker on one hole. Tony did not appreciate me bringing all that up this morning at work - hahahahaha.

Michelle Wie

After reading about the possibility of Michelle Wie turning pro on the Grouchy Golf Blog, I heard the story again on PGA Tour Sunday on the USA network this morning. So, I'm guessing that unless she changes her mind, this is really what she plans to do. I think it's a good thing for her and for golf. This morning they said that she has missed out on something like $450,000 in winnings this year because she was an amateur. Who can blame her for wanting to lay claim to all the money she really is earning out there but can't collect? She's going to continue to play golf, so she might as well get paid for it.

The Senior British Open

Greg Norman finished one shot out of the playoff. Tom Watson won over Des Smyth in the playoff. I think I can sufficiently taunt my boss with this finish.

The US Bank Championships

Ben Crane led wire-to-wire to win the tournament at 20 under par. I really think that playing the British Open last week hurt Kenny Perry and Scott Verplank. It seems the time changes and the weather delays took their toll. And Crane did finish early, for all those who have a problem with his slow play. I thought it was odd that with an hour of play left on tv, the final group had finished the 15th already. Usually, with an hour's worth of tv left, the final group is just starting the 15th hole. On a final note, I would just like to say that if the heat index is over 100 degrees, then the players should be given the option to wear shorts instead of those pants. Maybe they are and all of them decline, but I can't believe all the players would choose long pants in that heat.

The Evian Masters

Creamer wins Evian Masters
Courtesy of: LadiesEuropeanTour.com

Paula Creamer Picture: Golfsupport.nl

(Evian Masters GC, Evian-les-Bains, France – July 23 2005) Eighteen-year-old Paula Creamer claimed her second professional title at the Evian Masters with an impressive eight-shot lead over fifteen-year-old amateur Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa.

Creamer secured her win at fifteen-under-par 273 (68-68-66-71).

I've added a picture to the sidebar of a golf course in Hawaii. I got the picture from Webshots. Unfortunately, my blog took a really long time to publish after I added the picture. So, it may not be there for long. I'm very impatient when it comes to computer stuff.

Announcers Week Off

What is the deal with the big-time announcers not doing their jobs this week? The Senior British Open is considered a major, but there is no Mike Tirico, no Paul Azinger, no Nick Faldo. Where is Jim Nantz this week on the PGA Tour? At least Lanny Wadkins showed up. He's a good sport.

A Crisis of Age

I was watching the Senior British Open today, particularly Greg Norman. All of a sudden, I started feeling a slight panic, a twinge deep in my subconscious that rippled outward toward the surface. Greg Norman is 50. He can't be 50! I've been watching him for several years, and for him to be a member of the Senior Tour, that would mean that as he has gotten older, so have I! And I refuse to be more than 29 no matter how many years ago that was.

The LPGA Tour This Week

Michelle Wie is tied for 9th so far at the Evian Masters. Paula Creamer is leading the tournament. I don't watch the women's tour much, but I do like to see what Wie and Creamer are wearing. I think it's great that they wear skirts and it inspires me to keep working out. For more of my work out efforts, check out Miranda's Window Dressing over in the side bar. And of course, it's really great to see the younger players succeeding out there against the best of their tour. Here's the leaderboard of the Evian Masters.

The Senior British Open

A funny little story: My boss, Tony, and I were discussing the Sr. British Open yesterday. Tony, of course, thinks he knows everything, especially when it comes to golf because he plays golf. Yesterday, he said that Hale Irwin would win the tournament because Hale is still mad about his performance in the Sr. US Open. Tony completely rejected the idea that Greg Norman could be a factor. I of course picked Greg Norman because he is in phenomenal shape and for his first tournament back, he had a great showing at the Open last week. And I picked Greg Norman because the new guy always wins on the Senior Tour. Interestingly, I don't see Hale Irwin on the leaderboard, but Greg Norman has a very prominent position. Hahahaha!!! Hopefully, Norman will do well enough for me to gloat about it on Monday when I get back to work.

How About a Feature Story on Kevin Hall

Deaf golfer can't wait to make PGA Tour debut at Brown Deer
Vic Feuerherd - Wisconsin State Journal
July 21, 2005 MILWAUKEE - Like any golfer just starting out on his professional career, Kevin Hall tees it up with a dream in mind.

That will be the case this afternoon at 1:30 when he makes his PGA Tour debut at the U.S. Bank Championship at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

"Everyone daydreams," he said when asked about the possibility of winning.

"But I have to keep telling myself, 'Stay in the present. Keep it one stroke at a time.'"

But how Hall said it is different.

His fingers moved at a rapid pace, outlining either every letter or every word for translator Tracey Weigel, who put Hall's thoughts into words for reporters in the media tent.

Hall, 22, is deaf. He is here on a sponsor's exemption. But Hall is not just a tournament sideshow. He was an accomplished golfer at Ohio State, where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors as a senior in 2004. He's played in three Nationwide events, the minor leagues of the PGA.

By his own admission, he is a "feel-good story." People see him, he said, and they find it "inspiring."

Hall went profoundly deaf at the age of 2 after getting H-flu meningitis. He began golfing at 9 when a family friend introduced him to the game. He became a highly decorated junior and prep golfer in his hometown of Cincinnati. He eventually became the captain of the Buckeyes team.

Hall said going to Ohio State was a big change from his days at a school for the deaf.

"My college experience broadened my horizons," he said. "I can see the world from a different angle. It helped me (learn) to communicate with people, meet new people. It helped me to see the world."

Now he's trying to fulfill his goal of making it on the Tour.

"I'm ready," he said. "I just have to believe in myself."

Hall received the exemption at the urging of U.S. Bank officials, who were familiar with his game from his days in Columbus, where U.S Bank is located.

"I was walking on air," he said of the beeper message he received from his father recently notifying him of his spot in the field. "It's a wonderful opportunity."

Hall admits there are advantages to being deaf on the course.

"I can't hear the distractions," he said. "But I still struggle with the mental game like any other golfer."

The disadvantages are different, too. Hall, who reads lips, recalled a tournament in Texas when he didn't understand an official's comment and ended up being penalized for breaking a lift, clean and place ruling.

Hall was accompanied by his father, Percy. His mother is coming for the start of the tournament today.

"If I make the cut - when I make the cut - more people will come," he said.

Hall admitted golf is not a popular game in the deaf community. Hall takes pride in his deafness. He is an African-American, which also makes him stand out in a game dominated by hearing whites.

"I represent the deaf community at home and all over the U.S.," he said. "If people identify me as a deaf golfer, that brings attention to the deaf community. Those people look up to me. They look up to me as motivation for their lives.

"If my identification is as a deaf golfer, that's fine. That's what I am now. Eventually, people are going to know me as Kevin."

Hall's expectations are simple.

"If I finish the tournament feeling good, that's success," he said. "I'll give it my best and that will be a successful week for me."

Updates

I added a couple new blogs to the Blogs of Note section. And I added a link to blogwise since I finally got the email from them today stating that they have listed this blog.

On websites and blogs

Why is it that I can only find official websites for just a few players? Greg Norman has one. Nick Faldo has one. You would think that the marketing machine behind all these players would cash in on the internet medium and every golfer would have their own website or blog. The PGA Tour really needs to look into setting up websites for the players.

A New Spotlight

This week on the PGA tour is the US Bank Championship and in honor of the tournament I have turned my spotlight on Tag Ridings and Gene Sauers. I picked Tag Ridings based on his name alone. And Gene Sauers has been around for a long while so I thought I would feature him. You can catch the tournament on USA Thursday and Friday from 4 to 6 pm and Saturday and Sunday on CBS 3 to 6 pm, all times Eastern. Or tune in to XM radio.

Back to Back Wins for Jason Gore

Jason Gore wins again on the Nationwide Tour. This past weekend he won the Scholarship America Showdown which brings his career wins to 5. Here's more on Jason Gore...

Prize Money

Here's a link to the results and prize money for the British Open. It's interesting that even those who missed the cut apparently got paid something.

Email

When I decided to provide my email address to the readers of my blog, I really didn't know what to expect. But, fortunately, I have received nothing but friendly email. The most recent comes from Eric Mirlis who writes for a website called TheMirl.com. He wrote what I consider to be a very well written article on Michelle Wie and her recent play at the Women's Open and the Public Links Championship. So, here's a link to the article - check it out.

The B.C Open

There was another golf tournament going on this week. I found it on the USA network and had a hard time getting into it since there were so few golfers there that I had heard of . But, I thought I would post a couple of comments about it since I did watch a good bit of it this afternoon. First, I think the soft conditions of the course made it very difficult to judge the abilities of the golfers. The course had suffered a flood in April. Second, I thought it was cool that the winner, Jason Bohn was paired with his good friend in the final round, Ryan Palmer. You don't hear enough about friendships on tour. Here's a link to the PGA Tour website on the B.C. Open.

Final Round Thoughts

Well, Tiger Woods has another major championship. Pardon me while I yawn. I would just like to point out that with Tiger only scoring 2 under today, he was not unbeatable. He was not a slam dunk pick for the win. He only won because Olazabal and Montgomerie didn't rise to the challenge. Apparently they have bought into the hype just as much as the so-called experts out there on tv.

Some other observations:

Graeme McDowell had the low round of the day at 67. Fred Couples ended up in a tie for third, Sergio Garcia a tie for 5th, Nick Faldo a tie for 11th, and Sean O'Hair a tie for 15th. I will be interested to see what the world rankings look like after this.

Maybe this is what they were alluding to

with the Nick Faldo and Greg Norman thing.... the gutless comment???

Third Round Thoughts

I've noticed a trend - everytime I make even the slightest prediction, the opposite happens. I said Jim Furyk might do well and he missed the cut. I said I expected Tiger to be about 4 under today, and he was only 1 under and he had to work at that. Dare I say Tiger will win? LOL! I'd better not push my luck. It looks as though Retief Goosen and Soren Hansen had the best rounds of the day with 6 under. Jose Marie Olazabal was 4 under on the day and in good position for tomorrow. Sean O'Hair continues to do well and was under par again today. And Nick Faldo and Greg Norman are in a 10 way tie for 29th, with this being Norman's first tournament in a long while due to surgery. I think I'm missing a story between Faldo and Norman - the way Azinger was talking to Faldo about the possibility of he and Norman being paired together on Sunday. I will have to go looking for that story. If anyone knows what they are not telling me, let me know.

2nd Round of the Tiger Woods Invitational - I mean the British Open

They were interviewing Jack Nicklaus and instead of having him on camera, they had Tiger Woods. Unfortunately I will see Tiger Woods next week, next month, next year. Not so much with Jack Nicklaus. TNT's camera folks should have been more on the ball there.

My thoughts on the 2nd round:

I expected Tiger to be 4 or 5 under on this round, so that didn't surprise me. The guys at 6 under should have made a charge, but since Saturday is called Moving Day in golf, I hope there will be some golfers come out to challenge for the top of the leaderboard. They have to expect Tiger to be at least 3 under on his round tomorrow and again on Sunday so the others really do need some good low rounds out there.

David Toms disqualified himself - a classic example of why golf is the ultimate great sport and all kids should learn golf instead of playing GTA 3 on the playstation. Toms should get an award for ethics for what he did.

They said something about Fred Couples' back so I will have to go looking for that story. I think the announcer guy said Fred's back went out on the 13th hole, but I think he made birdies after that so if Fred was in some pain but finished his round, he deserves an award also for intestinal fortitude (as they say in the world of pro wrestling).

Sean O'Hair is still hanging in there and doing well. If he keeps it together and comes out with a good finish in this tournament, I may have to add him to the side-bar as one of my favorites.

What's with TNT not showing Nick Faldo? I saw one brief glimpse of him and caught the tail end of an interview. He's a previous winner on that course, you'd think they would spotlight him a little bit more. Hopefully ABC will do that this weekend. If Faldo was smart, that would have been in his contract with ABC :)

Why are they still talking about Phil Mickelson? One announcer guy suggested Mickelson could challenge Tiger on the weekend. I think Phil's something like 8 shots back. He would have to make up 8 shots and probably 4 or 5 extra and hope that Tiger falters. That's a lot to ask of Phil and Tiger I think.

It's amazing to me how John Daly can just come out of nowhere and be tied for 15th place after 2 rounds. I think this proves that the man has a gift that few others out there have.

Remesy and Butterfield missed the cut. So, I feel better having shined my spotlight on them over in the sidebar since we aren't going to hear about them this weekend.

Other notables who missed the cut:
Peter Lawrie
Davis Love
Todd Hamilton
Ben Curtis
Nick Price
Jim Furyk
Mark O'Meara
Lee Westwood.

I added the Leaderboard to the Sidebar. Click on it under the British Open section to see the full leaderboard.

Jack Nicklaus - I'm too young to have been a big fan of his and I didn't agree with his opinion on the Casey Martin cart-riding issue a few years back, but it shouldn't be a sad day for golf. Nicklaus ended his career playing and playing well. He finished ahead of about 60 players, some of whom have made millions in the sport and are Majors winners to boot.

The Leaderboard

Check out the British Open Leaderboard. Here are a few scores that I noticed:

Fred Couples -4 T-3
Nick Faldo +2 T-74
Jean-Francois Remesy +1 T-56
Jack Nicklaus +3 T-98
Andrew Butterfield +5 T-128

First Round Feature Stories

Just a few news stories regarding the first round players:

Estes travels far for chance at Open

Goose bounces back from U.S. Open fiasco

Donald will play in spotlight

Hensby's Become A Force On PGA Tour

First Round

Well, I was partly right - Jim Furyk did surprise - with his what, 6 over par? Maybe he's just tired from playing so much before the Open. Tiger's only got a 1 shot lead with a lot of very good players chasing him. I think he's in for a battle this time. I was pretty sick of the Tiger-laden coverage on TNT. Before I left for work this morning, it was Tiger this and Tiger that. When I got home 8 hours later it was still Tiger this and Tiger that. Give it a rest already.

More on the Predictions for the British Open

As I mentioned before, everyone seems to be picking Tiger Woods to win. But what is even more interesting is the pick for most disappointing. Two of the four people featured in this article said Phil Mickelson. I am of the opinion that the one sure bet is that Phil Mickelson won't win or do extraordinarily well this time around. He hasn't done well recently for being one of the Big 5, and I have to admit, if I had to pick between Mickelson or Woods to win a tournament (not who I want to win, but who has the game at the moment to win) I would have to pick Woods. I can't wait to see who does win the British Open. I'd like to know if all these people who pick Tiger end up right or wrong. Personally, I think with Jim Furyk coming in second and first in pretty recent tournaments, he just might surprise a good many people and do very well.

Condolences

My deepest sympathies go out to Padraig Harrington today. After a long illness, his father has passed away. The following article can be found on the Sports Illustrated website:

ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) -- Ireland's Padraig Harrington pulled out of the British Open on Tuesday following the death of his father, organizers said.

Harrington's father Patrick, a former policeman, had been suffering from cancer of the oesophagus.

He was diagnosed in March, one week after his son became the first Irish player to win a PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic in Florida.

Harrington, ranked ninth in the world, skipped last week's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond after his father's condition worsened.

Henrik Stenson of Sweden, at world number 78 the highest-ranked player not already exempt, will take Harrington's place in the 156-strong field at St Andrews.

Ryder Cup player Harrington, who clinched his second PGA Tour victory by holing a 65-foot eagle putt on the final hole of last month's Barclays Classic, was among the favourites for this week's major.

The 33-year-old from Dublin triumphed by six shots in a strong field at the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am in Ireland last week and is an experienced links course golfer in windy conditions.

He has produced two top-10 finishes in nine British Open starts, and tied for 20th when the championship was last held at St Andrews in 2000.

"Nicklaus determined to remain competitive and delay final putt"

Courtesy: Times Online

By Peter Dixon

WHATEVER the outcome, however he plays, it will be quite a week for Jack Nicklaus in his eighth and last Open Championship at St Andrews, the spiritual home of golf. As one great champion bows out, another, by the name of Tiger Woods, will pick up the mantle and set off in pursuit of Nicklaus’s record of 18 professional major championships.

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Predictions??

Apparently everyone and their brother is picking Tiger Woods to win the British Open. Even given that I am no fan of Tiger Woods, all this Tiger Mania is making me ill. Please, people, just because he won 5 years ago, doesn't mean he will win again. And just because the Big 5 are the Big 5 doesn't mean they will win. Who's playing well in the last three or four weeks? Tiger came up short at the US Open. Vijay, Phil, Ernie, Retief? Not exactly blazing a trail out there lately. I wouldn't know who to pick to win the tournament, but I know the variables are too great to go with a slam-dunk pick out of the top 5. How many of these prognosticators picked Hamilton last year, I wonder?

The Spotlight

This week in the spotlight over in the sidebar are a couple of golfers I've never heard of before. What's the point of spotlighting famous folks, right? I have no idea if they will do well at the British Open, but they apparently played well enough to get into the field so that's saying something for them.

Over on the European Tour

I love how the following paragraph was written: "conducted a passionate love affair", that's just great.

Clark Sails to victory at Loch Lomond Sun 10-Jul-2005 16:18 (GMT)

	Tim Clark © 2005 Getty Images
	Image	ZOOM>>

South African Tim Clark, who has conducted a passionate love affair with Loch Lomond in the past without getting to the altar, finally tied the knot with one of Scotland's most picturesque courses by capturing The Barclays Scottish Open by two shots from Darren Clarke and Maarten Lafeber.

(Read the rest of the article at www.europeantour.com.)

ABC's British Open Preview Special

Nick Faldo and Mike Tirico were pretty good on this special. And it didn't hurt that Nick looked very good in that suit. I love seeing his personality, something you hardly ever see of any player when they are playing full time. Right now, I'm wondering if I can call in sick Friday so I can watch some of the British Open on TNT. The only downside is that my boss knows I watch golf, and will very quickly suspect that I am fibbing.

My Thoughts on the John Deere Classic

For the big named golfers not to be playing this week, this tournament turned into a real nail-biter there at the end. Of the three guys in contention in the last couple of holes, two of them would be first time winners. I didn't know who to cheer for. And I tried to resist cheering for O'Hair simply because so much press has been made about his personal life that I didn't want to short-change the other contenders by just automatically picking O'Hair. But, in the end, I did end up hoping O'Hair would win. And darn it, how dare they dress their little girl in such cute clothes? No one can resist cheering on a guy whose little girl looks that precious :)

" O'Hair gets first win at John Deere Classic"

(From the Houston Chronicle)
Silvis, IL (Sports Network) - PGA Tour rookie Sean O'Hair fired a six-under 65 on Sunday to come from behind and win the John Deere Classic. O'Hair finished at 16-under-par 268 for his first career victory on the PGA Tour.

Robert Damron shot a 67 at the TPC at Deere Run to join Hank Kuehne in a tie for second place at 15-under-par 269. Last year's winner Mark Hensby posted a 64 to finish one shot further back alongside Wes Short and third-round leader J.L. Lewis.

O'Hair was five shots back to start the day and birdied two in a row from the second to move to 12-under. He parred his next four holes and added a birdie at the par-four eighth to make the turn at minus-13.

The 22-year-old picked up a birdie at the par-five 10th to get within one shot of the lead. O'Hair kept pace over the next three holes and drained an 18-foot putt for a birdie at the par-four 14th to move into first place.

O'Hair maintained his composure over the closing holes and hit his second shot into a front bunker at the par-five 17th. O'Hair played his third shot out of the sand to two feet and tapped in for birdie to reach 16-under.

O'Hair, who was the runner-up at the Byron Nelson Championship, hit his drive in the rough at the par-four closing hole behind the trees lining the right side of the fairway. He had an opening and knocked his second shot across the fairway and watched as it rolled into the hazard above the water.

He was unable to ground his club for his third, but he played his shot within seven feet of the hole. O'Hair calmly rolled in the par-saving putt for his maiden title, and a decision on whether or not to go to St. Andrews next week for the British Open.

Kuehne had three birdies over his first seven holes to grab a share of the lead, but he found trouble with a bogey at the par-four eighth. He countered with a birdie at the par-four 14th, but gave that shot back with a bogey at the following hole.

He reached the green in two at the par-five 17th and two-putted for birdie to get within one of O'Hair. Kuehne hit another huge drive at the last, but sent his second shot over the back of the green. Kuehne was unable to convert for birdie to finish second along with Damron.

Shigeki Maruyama, Richard S. Johnson and Hunter Mahan tied for seventh place at 13-under-par 271. Kevin Stadler, Jeff Brehaut and D.J. Trahan followed at 12-under-par 272.

07/10 16:20:26 ET

Dan Olsen Takes the Lead at the Pete Dye Golf Classic

" Bridgeport, WV (Sports Network) - Dan Olsen shot a five-under 67 on Saturday to take the outright lead through three rounds of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic. Olsen completed 54 holes at 14-under-par 202 for a one-shot lead over Jason Gore and Kim Felton."
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Another Blog to Check Out

Check out Grouchy Golf Blog. It is a well written, very entertaining blog. A lot of personality in this blog.

Another New Blog to Highlight!

I received some very complimentary mentions on the blog called Hooked on Golf Blog so I thought I would reciprocate. This blog is jam-packed with golf stuff. You could spend all day there. Check it out; I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I've added it to the Blogs of Note section over in the sidebar.

The Ford Senior Players Championship

Gary McCord knows when the CBS cameras are on him. An eagle, he just made.

What's In A Name?

I read a romance novel a few years back called A Foreign Affair. It was about a PGA golfer. The main character's name was Nick, of course it would be when you have Nick Price and Nick Faldo in real life. Anyway, the main character in the book played an event against another player called Jasper Henley. When I saw that name I thought, "Now there's a golfer's name." While watching the 3rd round of the John Deere Classic today, I was struck by the same thought. So, here are a few great names for golfers in the hunt at the John Deere Classic:
Hank Kuehne
Brandt Jobe
D.J. Trahan
Hunter Mahan

Michelle Wie

I'm watching her second round right now at the John Deere Classic (I'm not at the John Deere Classic, she is) and I have question - just what dress size does she wear? A One? A Zero? I know the camera adds a few pounds so she must be really skinny. Maybe it's that belt she's wearing that makes me think she's so skinny. I think it's good she's wearing pants like the men have to. But I still don't know why caddies can wear shorts and the players can't. I guess because they have to lug around the golf clubs and the players don't. Or maybe the tv folks just don't want to see the players' legs.

Now, as for the question of Michelle Wie playing on the Men's Tour - I think it's good for golf. She is so young that all this media attention will bring a lot more young kids into golf and in ten years we will see the result when new golfers come on tour, younger and more talented than we've seen in the past.

Will Wie's performance open up the floodgates for all the LPGA players to invade the PGA tour? I don't think so. It takes a lot for a female to play on the Men's tour considering the courses are much longer and the competition is much tougher, so I really don't see this one event hurting the PGA tour.

But let's address the true heart of the matter - finding out just what you're made of. I don't think it hurts anything for a female to find out where she stands in comparison with the men. It's a good measuring stick. And if you think for a minute Steffi Graf never thought about how she would fare in a match against Andre Agassi, then you should probably think about that one again.

Was it fair for Wie to accept a sponsor's exemption when there are other male golfers who have played better, or played more, or had some success that she hasn't? Why shouldn't she? She has to look out for herself in life and set and achieve goals for herself. There's nothing wrong with that. And why shouldn't the sponsor extend an exemption to a phenomenal player who will shine the media spotlight on the event? She's 15 and can play better than a ton of people in the world. So what if she hasn't won anything yet, if she couldn't play and compete, the sponsor wouldn't have offered her a spot. And if she completely embarrasses herself this week, she won't get another exemption for a year or two.

Wie may not make the cut, but half the field won't make the cut and they are men. Yeah, she's 15 and a female, but when it's all said and done, she may end up being just one of the guys.

Thank You!!!

A big thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and posted comments. I really appreciate it! I started watching golf all those years ago because it is a mature sport that for the most part doesn't contain aggression or hostility (unless the cell phone rings in the middle of a backswing - which warrants a little hostility when these pro players are trying to earn a living). I can literally feel my blood pressure lowering when I watch golf and that's good. I'm getting the feeling that many of the golf fans who blog are just like the game and are nice and pleasant folks, and I'm really excited to meet more of them as time goes on.

So, Welcome to all the new visitors and Thanks to all those who visit and keep coming back!

Check out Another Blog

This blog is called Musey's Hole in One and it seems really great. A personable, blogger next door kind of blog. Very comfortable.

I Have Discovered Another Golf Blog

Deciding I needed to check out the other golf blogs out there on the web (and I figured there had to be thousands) I found this one called: Golfblogger. This blog talks about the equipment and the companies that produce it as well as golfers and tournaments and such. It is a good source of information and everyone should check it out. I put a link to it over in the side-bar.

What's the Deal with Technorati?

It won't let me claim this blog as mine, which it is. And then when I try to send them an email to tell them that this blog is mine, yahoo mail won't send the email to the address Technorati provided. I really do think the Technorati people need some technical guidance. They don't seem to be all that technically endowed. I'm not impressed at all. I may have to take their button off my Miranda's Window Dressing blog.

Pete Dye Golf Classic

Check out this story about US Open Star Jason Gore.

"Teen Golf Sensation Michelle Wie Faces the Men"

By Steve Schy Washington 06 July 2005

Michelle Wie

The Professional Golf Association tour continues its season Thursday as the John Deere Classic gets under way in Silvis, Illinois. The tournament will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a special guest in the field, 15-year-old American Michelle Wie, the first woman to play at the event.

The one meter 83 centimeter tall Hawaiian is playing the TPC (The Player Club) at Deere Run on a sponsor's exemption. And her appearance has made Wie the main attraction at the tournament, with ticket sales up about 10 percent over last year.

But Wie, whose long-term goal has always been to play against the men, missed the cut in her two previous PGA appearances at the Sony Open in Honolulu. Even so, the teen sensation believes she will be a contender. "You know, every time I come into it (a tournament) I feel like I have a chance to win. If I don't feel like I have a chance to win, then I have no chance to win," she said.

Compatriot Zach Johnson, who played a practice round with Wie on Tuesday, was impressed with her play. "Oh, yeah, I think she can be in contention. I don't think there is any doubt. She's good. When you have a phenom like that, regardless, male or female, you have to showcase it in some fashion," he said.

Among those in the field are British Open champion Todd Hamilton of the United States, and fellow major champions David Toms and David Duval of the United States, and Zimbabwe's Nick Price. Australian Mark Hensby is the defending champion.

Courtesy: VOA News

"He's not Tiger, but Couch offers an everyman tale"

BY GREG COUCH SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST:

Everywhere you see Tiger Woods, you can't help but notice the mob scene. They pack the greens, line the fairways. On Saturday, when he finished his round at the Cialis Western Open, thousands of people filed out.

Everywhere you see Chris Couch, you can't help but notice his wife, Morgan, trying to corral their two sons around her feet. Was Chris nervous Friday night, after taking the tournament lead?

"No, no,'' Morgan said. "We just went out to dinner and ...

"MOM, LOOK AT THIS ROCK,'' Christian Couch, who's 4, said while picking up some gravel. "MOM, LOOK AT THIS ROCK. MOM ...''

Ah, the joy of kids.

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One More Enhancement

I have finally added the Charities section to the sidebar. Hopefully, as time goes by, I will add more links there.

A Couple More Enhancements

I added a link to my main blog, Miranda's Window Dressing, to the side bar as well as providing everyone with a way to email me. I don't check that email account often though, so you all might not get immediate responses.

New Spotlight

Now that this week's tournaments are over, I have shined the blog's spotlight on two new players: Mark Hensby and D.A. Points. Apparently these two are the defending champions of the tournaments being contested this coming week: The John Deere Classic and Mark Hensby and The National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic and D. A. Points. I've spotlighted a Nationwide Tour event partly because it is held in my home state of West Virginia. Click on the links in the side-bar for more info on these two players.

Unfortunate Spotlight

So, I spotlighted Thomas Bjorn yesterday on the blog because he was leading over in the Smurfit Open. I certainly didn't think he would have the kind of round he ended up having today. While I do believe the TV folks do end up jinxing golfers, I don't think I jinxed Bjorn just by spotlighting him. His result is unfortunate. I hope he rebounds and does better in the future.

"Dramatic conclusion sees Ferrie triumph in the Smurfit European Open"

"After one of the most dramatic conclusions to a tournament in many seasons, England’s Kenneth Ferrie emerged victorious in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club, the 26 year old’s second European Tour International Schedule victory following his win in the 2003 Canarias Open de España."
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Jim Furyk wins the Western Open

Furyk won by two shots today over Tiger Woods and Ben Curtis. I remember when Jim Furyk first came on the tour over 10 years ago. He didn't make a big spectacular splash back then. Mostly they talked about his unusual swing. And today when you think of him, you don't really think of him being a 10 time winner on Tour. He is very unassuming and doesn't really attract the star image of a Garcia or a Woods. But Furyk is an excellent Champion and epitomizes what the PGA Tour should be about. Quiet competence and success with humility.

First Time Visitor!!

I had a first time visitor to the blog today, according to my Bravenet stats button. I'm so excited. Hopefully, I will get more visitors who will return because they like my blog. Not because they want to complain. People don't have to like my blog, but as I don't plan to cruelly attack other people here, I really don't see any reason for people to attack me.

Countdown to Air

ABC Sports just had this special on about what all it takes to put a golf tournament on TV. It was a fantastic show. I hope they win an award for that. It was great to see interviews with Faldo, Azinger, Rankin and North. I'm quickly becoming a great fan of the Faldo-Azinger announce team. They draw upon their experience with each other during their most competitive years to bring a unique form of humanity to the coverage. But I will say that it is very hard to tell when Paul Azinger is joking. It's a good thing Faldo has a good sense of humor.

What do you know, time permitted

I did in fact add more content to the side bar. In the future, I'm hoping to add a section for links to the charities that are supported in part by the PGA tour and its players. And yes, I know I did not include Tiger Woods in the Players section. That's because I'm really not a fan of his. He doesn't make me want to watch golf. I'm sure he's a very decent and upstanding citizen and a wonderfully charitable individual, but I'm just not a fan. To make up for the fact that he won't be in the Players section, here are a few links to Tiger Woods related websites:
The Official Tiger Woods Website
The Tiger Woods Foundation
The Tiger Woods Learning Center

I will have to remember to put his Foundation website in the future Charities section.

Enhancements

I added some content to the side bar. I plan to add to the players list and the personalities list as time permits.

Third Round at the Smurfit European Open

GOLF: EUROPEAN OPEN: BJORN AGAIN

Jul 2 2005

Thomas back on top a year after being hit for sorry six in Dublin

By Dale Rankin

THOMAS BJORN has exorcised his Smurfit European Open nightmare to play like a dream in this year's tournament Bjorn pulled out of the event in Dublin last year and fled back to his home in Wentworth as he fought the demons which had left him a nervous wreck on the course.
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Saturday at the Western Open

Furyk, Curtis lead Western Open

Lemont, IL (Sports Network) - Jim Furyk shot a four-under 67 Saturday to join Ben Curtis in the lead after the third round of the Cialis Western Open. The duo finished at 12-under-par 201, three shots clear of Tim Herron.
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"Nicklaus is money for Scottish bank"

NBCSports.com news services

Updated: 2:59 a.m. ET July 1, 2005

Jack Nicklaus will be featured on a 5-pound ($9) note to be issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland to commemorate his last appearance as a professional golfer in the British Open at St. Andrews, the Washington Post reported.

Royal Bank, which sponsors Nicklaus, will release the note on July 12, two days before the tournament. No living person other than a member of the British Royal Family has ever appeared on a Scottish or English banknote.

"That's pretty special," Nicklaus said Thursday. "The tribute that RBS has done for me is unbelievable and one I have a hard time fathoming."

Nicklaus will play his 38th and last British Open at the venue where he won two of his three titles, in 1970 and 1978. He has said it's likely the last tournament of his career.

© 2005 NBC Sports.com

And Across the Pond at the Smurfit European Open

'Rusty' Bjorn soldiers on to conquer his demons
By Norman Dabell in Straffan, Co Kildare
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

Thomas Bjorn's often complex character underwent a stern test yesterday in the European Open, and this time, rather than giving up, the Dane passed it convincingly at the K Club.
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Western Open: Day 2

Couch cards sizzling back nine to take Western Open lead

TORONTO, July 1 (Reuters) - American Chris Couch enjoyed a sizzling back nine to card a flawless four-under 67 as he took the second round clubhouse lead at the Western Open on Friday.
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