Charlotte's Wagner hoping for big finish

Johnson Wagner spent the past two weeks hanging around home in Charlotte, playing some golf, relaxing and getting ready for what he hopes will be a big finish to his 2008 PGA Tour season.

Wagner, who won the Shell Houston Open in April, opened the World Golf Championship-Brdgestone Invitational Thursday in Akron, Ohio, with a solid even-par 70, putting himself in position to be a factor at Firestone when the weekend arrives.

The victory in Houston in April not only got Wagner into the Masters at the last minute, it affirmed his belief that he belonged on the tour. His record since Houston, however, has been spotty.

He made four straight cuts in one stretch but his best finish has been a tie for 27th in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Wagner ranks 45th in FedEx Cup points and went to Firestone intent on improving his standing as the four-tournament playoff stretch approaches in three weeks.

"I'm starting to play better on tougher courses and in bigger events and I feel like I can play well in this stretch," Wagner said. "I want to make the top 30 in the FedEx standings so I can play in the Tour Championship and winning another tournament would certainly take care of that."

After the Bridgestone this week, Wagner will play the PGA Championship next week, bypass the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro then being the FedEx Cup playoffs at the Barclays in mid-August. Ideally, he would play his way into a spot at the Tour Championship Sept. 25-28 at East Lake in Atlanta.

As for his breakthrough victory at Houston, Wagner said he needs to focus on what's next rather than on what he's already done.

"I need to quit thinking about (the win)," Wagner said. "I need to focus on the good things I did to get in that position and start doing them again."

Again, Wie elects to be sideshow at men's event

The Women's British Open, pardon me, the Ricoh Women's British Open, is being played this week at Sunningdale in England and Michelle Wie is playing instead in the PGA Tour's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

Need I ask, what's wrong with this picture?

The question I've always had about Michelle Wie is whether she's more interested in being a great golfer or a great star.

The fact she's in Nevada rather than England this week raises that question again.

Sure, she would have had to qualify to play in the British Open, but if you're serious about being great you try to play in the biggest events. Unless you're Kenny Perry - but he's 47 and deep enough in his career to skip the British Open even if it's a decision he will likely regret down the road.

Wie was a star. Now she's a curiosity, which means she's moved in the wrong direction.

Playing in another men's event - a second-tier PGA Tour event that includes none of the top 50 players in the world - seems the wrong thing for her to do right now. Maybe she will make the cut - she's shown signs of getting her game back - but what would that prove?

I would love to see Michelle Wie become everything we've projected her to be. She could further transform women's professional golf if she could become a regular winner.

She makes you watch.

If it can all come together for her, Wie could have an enormous impact on the game.

But bypassing a major to be a sideshow in Reno-Tahoe isn't the best way to do it.

Play golf, live longer

What if I told you that playing golf can add five years to your life?

I know, there are times when you think your head will explode after you've chunked another wedge into a bunker or hit a slice deep enough into the woods that the CIA couldn't find it. You think the game will kill you, not keep you alive.

But if the findings of the Karolinska Instituted in Sweden are accurate -- and its reputation apparently makes it the Pro V1 of its field -- then playing golf may be better for you than a glass of red wine a day or passing on the Thickburger.

According to the study, which was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science, golfers are 40 percent less likely to die at a given age than people who don't play golf. Don't ask me to explain the formula but that means the game adds about five years to your life, unless you go about it the way John Daly does.

The study evaluated 300,000 golfers and took a variety of factors into consideration. The study looked at blue-collar and white-collar golfers to negate the idea that wealthier people tend to play golf, and consequently, might have access to better health care.

I'm just guessing here but playing football probably doesn't add five years to your life. Bowling probably doesn't either.

But golf apparently keeps you alive longer, which is a good thing unless you have the shanks.

Namesake was golf giant

Many of the best young players in the Charlotte area are at Cedarwood Country Club this week playing in the Dick Tiddy Metro Junior championship.

Chances are the winners won’t be familiar with the man for whom the tournament is named but he was one of the giants of golf in this area.

Tiddy was a Charlotte native, who played college golf at Wake Forest with a fellow named Arnold Palmer, beginning a friendship that started in the 1940s and lasted until Tiddy passed away four years ago at age 74.

Tiddy was good enough to play the PGA Tour for a couple of years but he was a Hall of Famer as a teaching pro and all-around golf man. He knew how to make club members happy, cure swing flaws and brighten the days of everyone who came in contact with him.

He was the head pro at Charlotte Country Club before taking the same position at Cedarwood when it opened in the mid-1960s. But when Palmer called and asked Tiddy to run his beloved Bay Hill Club in Orlando in 1971, Tiddy moved south but kept his Charlotte connections alive.

For more than three decades, Tiddy taught golf at Bay Hill despite a series of health problems that gradually took away his ability to walk. Friends from Charlotte would routinely visit Bay Hill and Tiddy would return home where members of his family remain.

There was nothing he liked better than helping someone with their golf swing, whether it was a kid just learning the game or one of the many touring pros he put his trained eyes on. He made the game seem easy and I can remember him watching me hit high soft draws during a lesson and happily calling them ‘Carolina cut shots.’

Dick Tiddy was a big man, standing about 6-5 and weighing more than 250 pounds but he was larger than that in the ways that matter most.

He touched thousands of golf games and just as many lives, improving both.

Filling Tiger's void? Harrington, but not Phil

In the aftermath of the Open Championship, the question isn't whether Padraig Harrington is the game's second-best player regardless of what the official world rankings say -- he is -- nor is it whether this major championship Sunday performance is like so many others in Greg Norman's star-crossed career -- no, this was different.

The question is, what happened to all the guys who were supposed to pounce on major championships while Tiger Woods is on the mend?

This was going to be Sergio's moment, but he shot 44 coming in on Sunday and was never a serious factor.

Ernie Els?

His first-round 80 said more than his three good rounds from there.

Phil Mickelson?

Paralysis by analysis. Just play golf. Enough with the five wedges and rocket-science approach to trajectory and all that overthinking. Just go play golf, especially over there where feel is the most important thing.

Vijay?

He's getting old.

Adam Scott?

Where'd he go?

At least 23-year old Anthony Kim played like a guy capable of winning, at least until he put a putter in his hands. Then the hole started playing hide and seek.

Harrington, meanwhile, enhanced his place in the game with his gritty play. He's as tough as they come and his back nine Sunday was a thing of beauty. Looking for a winner at the PGA next month? I'll start with Harrington.

As for Norman, he didn't win but he had a chance with nine holes remaining and, in the process, he reminded us again of how captivating a personality he can be.

Norman was the game's dominant personality for a decade and having him back out front again reminded us of how flamboyant he was.

Had he somehow kept it together and won at Birkdale, it would have been one of the great stories ever, on a level with Jack Nicklaus' win in the 1986 Masters.

It didn't happen, unfortunately, but it's different when you're a 53-year old businessman who plays golf when the mood hits. This wasn't Norman in his prime with all the arrows in his heart. This was an aging giant back for one more moment and he played with much of the world pulling for him.

Norman didn't play as well on Sunday as he had in the three previous rounds and there was some criticism of him hitting his driver as often as he did. But Norman is considered by many to be the best driver -- combining length and accuracy -- ever. To play away from his strength on Sunday would have been counterintuitive.

Maybe he would have won if he'd hit more 3-woods and hybrids off the tee. Maybe not.

The way Harrington played at the end, it was his tournament to win.

The question is where everyone else went.

Will it be British Open champion*?

Will it ultimately matter on Sunday when someone is handed the Claret Jug that Tiger Woods was not at Royal Birkdale this week?

Of course, it will.

How can it not?

It's a major championship, of which Tiger has won 14 of the past 46, and in the prime of his career, he's not there. Having proved last month that he can, in fact, beat the rest of the world on one good leg, Woods' absence changes the structure of professional golf.

Players have made the point this week that the Open Championship is bigger than one player and they're right. They've been chasing golf balls around the hay over there since 1860 and having your name etched on the trophy is an extraordinary achievement.

But when you hear Ernie Els talking about how ominous Tiger's presence is when he's in the field and you remember Sergio thanking Tiger for missing The Players Championship he won in May -- was Sergio joking? -- it's obvious who and what are missing.

Evidently the game itself spooks Els these days, based on his body language while shooting an 80 Thursday.

This is a moment -- as the PGA Championship next month will be -- when the Adam Scotts and Sergios need to take advantage of the opportunity. Tiger will be back next year and the status quo will return with him.

Someone will be proclaimed champion golfer of the year Sunday afternoon at Birkdale and read his name on the Claret Jug.

It won't have an asterik beside it.

At least not one that's visible.

18 holes with Clemson's Bowden

In another two weeks, Clemson football coach Tommy Bowden will be immersed in the start of preseason practice, dealing with all the things a head coach of a likely top-10 team has to deal with.

On Tuesday, however, Bowden spent the day playing golf at The Reserve at Lake Keowee, hosting an annual outing for media and athletic staff members before the crush of the season arrives.

I was paired with Bowden, sharing a cart with him, and though our golf didn't exactly sparkle, spending four hours with him away from football was a treat.

He recently returned from the annual family vacation with his father and brothers and kids and grandkids to Panama City, Fla., where the focus may be more on golf than football.

"My dad plays 36 holes a day every day and he plays in the heat of the day," Tommy said. "If you're just going to play 18 holes, you'd better take your own car because he's not leaving."

Bowden is a solid -- and quick -- golfer who hit several good shots during the day, but he doesn't play as regularly as some coaches. By his own admission, he's no Steve Spurrier on the golf course, but he has fun.

At The Reserve, a beautiful Jack Nicklaus-designed course nestled among the hills alongside Lake Keowee, Bowden would stop the cart on bridges to look into creeks for snakes -- we saw one black snake sunning itself -- and he looked longingly at the lake when the course bumped against it.

He lives on Lake Hartwell near Clemson and, like the rest of us, stared at how far down the water is, leaving boats stranded on the shore in places. Bowden also talked about how much he enjoys taking his boat on the water when he has a few hours.

As for the golf, Bowden joked that he needed to stack his team with good players one year so he could win the tournament he hosts.

He didn't do it this year. Maybe next year.


-- Photo (above right) taken of Clemson football coach Tommy Bowden before participating in his annual media golf outing in Sunset, S.C., on Tuesday, July 15. (Anderson Independent-Mail, Mark Crammer)

Ballantyne facelift moving along

The golf course at Ballantyne Resort may be closed for the summer but there’s a lot going on anyway.

The layout, among the busiest and most popular in the Charlotte area, is getting a significant makeover that began June 16.

The practice range area will be dramatically different when the course reopens – Sept. 1 is the target date. The range has been reshaped and a new pavilion has been built nearby, creating a place for golfers in outings to gather.

The pavilion will sit where the practice green was and will have new putting greens on each side.

The staging area is also getting a facelift to help with the many outings the course hosts each year.

The most significant change to the course will be seen at the par-4 second hole. What used to be a short, quirky dogleg right with a tiny green has been transformed into a straighter par-4, essentially a new hole that will be a nice improvement.

The long, severe green at the par-4 eighth hole is also being reshaped to make it more player-friendly.

Additionally, the bunkers are being dredged and will have premium sand installed. Creek work and landscaping is also under way.

“It’s getting a really good facelift,” said Dana Rader, who operates her golf school at the resort. “The whole concept is geared toward a wow factor.”

Speaking of Rader, she’s also been down for a time this summer after having knee replacement surgery last month. She hopes to be back at home on a limited basis next week.

Kim develops attitude to match game

When Anthony Kim won the Wachovia Championship here in May, it was deemed to be the first of many victories for the 23-year old.

No. 2 came Sunday at Tiger Woods' AT&T National at Congressional in Washington, adding to the growing sense that Kim may be the game's next big star.

Kim has an exceptional swing that appears sturdy enough to hold up under pressure. It's efficient and powerful, an ideal combination.

The difference, as Kim admitted at Quail Hollow in May, is in his attitude. He's still a hot-shot young player, but he has begun to grow into his talent. He has begun to understand how to play and, consequently, how to win.

That isn't limited to hitting good shots and holing putts. Kim has offered several anecdotes about the growing pains he's experienced in his short time on the PGA Tour and offered a telling story in the media room after his win in Washington on Sunday.

He was playing in the BMW Championship last fall during the FedEx Cup playoffs. Kim had been out late the night before and showed up 15 minutes before his tee time, just long enough to grab a breakfast burrito and slap a couple of putts before going to the first tee. While he was preparing to change into his golf shoes, Kim saw Woods, whose tee time was much later but who had already had an extended pre-round practice session. Woods won the tournament while Kim finished tied for 52nd.

"That was quite a low point for my career," Kim said Sunday. "I wasn't doing myself justice to act that way and prepare that way."

The change has been dramatic.

And we're just seeing the start of it.

Big stars skipping Tiger's event, but why?

Tiger Woods isn’t the only star missing from the AT&T National this weekend at Congressional Country Club in Washington.

There’s no Phil Mickelson. No Adam Scott. No Vijay Singh. No Sergio Garcia. No Ernie Els.

Shall I continue?

In an event hosted by Tiger – who won’t be on the property at Congressional because flying causes his newly repaired left knee to swell – and is played on a superior course that will host the U.S. Open in three years, only five of the top 20 players in the current world rankings have bothered to show up.

It should remind us again how fortunate the Wachovia Championship has been to draw the star-stacked fields it has each year.

Tiger offered a modest defense of the field during a conference call this week when he said players make their own schedules based on many things and he understands they can’t play all the time. Tiger is the ultimate example of picking your spots, but he operates in a different universe.

What does the paucity of big names at Congressional mean?

I don’t think it’s guys dissing Tiger. If he asked a favor, I’m guessing most players would say sure.

The U.S. Open was three weeks ago, guys have had time to rest and the British Open is still two weeks away. This seems the perfect week to play. They can’t complain about the course and it’s the Fourth of July in Washington. Sure, it’s hot but it’s hot almost everywhere in July.

In fairness, some guys are ailing. Scott, for example, is still dealing with the hand he caught in a car door last month.

The edge has been dulled on this season now that Tiger is on the shelf, and it doesn’t help when what seems to be a big event winds up as a week off on too many stars’ schedules.

It is, unfortunately, the way of the world on the PGA Tour.

The question this week: Did Steve Stricker bring the fireworks?

Tiger talks about knee

During a conference call on Monday, Tiger Woods filled in some of the details about his knee problems that put a premature end to his 2008 season.

Woods said he still doesn’t know when he will return to competitive golf and won’t until he gets into his rehabilitation later this year. He said doctors have told him it could take between six and 12 months for him to fully recover.

Tiger said he’s had knee soreness the past 10 years because of the stress he puts on his knee in his swing. He said he’s worked to reduce the torque on the joint but the knee problems have been ongoing.

Woods said doctors told him when they removed a cyst from his knee in 2002 that his anterior cruciate ligament was more vulnerable to rupturing. To better support his knee, he worked hard on strengthening the muscles in his leg.

While running on a golf course last August, Woods said he took a slightly awkward step and felt his ACL rupture. “It didn’t take much,” he said. “Everyone was surprised it lasted as long as it did.”

He opted not to have reconstructive surgery at the time and focused on training to support his knee.

Woods said his knee “held up great” early in the year but became more unstable as the season went on. The natural rotation from his swing caused cartilage damage and his surgery after the Masters was intended to allow him to complete the 2008 season, then have reconstructive surgery.

He developed stress fractures, which caused him to miss The Memorial Tournament two weeks before the U.S. Open and the injury essentially shut down his practice time.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t walk to a cart. That’s not good when the cart is 10 feet away,” Woods said.

He couldn’t play more than nine holes in preparation for the Open and decided before the tournament that he would shut it down for the year after the championship, regardless of how he played. Of course, he won, proving that he can beat everyone else with just one good leg.

“It will be nice to finally have a healthy leg,” Woods said.

5 players to watch while Tiger's away

With Tiger Woods’ participation in the PGA Tour reduced to commercial breaks for the remainder of this season, the question becomes what happens now?

What, the Travelers Championship doesn’t float your boat?

The PGA Tour will survive without Tiger for the next four months (remember, it essentially surrenders football season) though television ratings will probably be somewhere in the range of ‘JAG’ reruns.

Still, it’s an opportunity for someone else to take the stage, especially in the run-up to the Ryder Cup, which is great theater with or without Tiger.

Here are five players who can help themselves and the PGA Tour in Tiger’s absence:

PHIL MICKELSON
It’s his stage now. He flamed out at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, but he’s still the brightest star in the universe while Tiger’s on the mend.

Lefty can carry the game if he plays well the rest of the summer. Don’t look for him to win the British Open, but perhaps the PGA and he’ll be a central character in the Ryder Cup.

SERGIO GARCIA
It’s time for him to win a major and maybe fate pays him back at the British Open at Birkdale. His win at The Players was enormous for him, and he hung in there at the U.S. Open after a terrible start.

BOO WEEKLEY
He has become a solid player who will probably be on the Ryder Cup team, just for him media center visits if nothing else. He’s likeable and he’s different enough that if he can win again, fans will notice.

BRANDT SNEDEKER
I have the sense he’s the real deal. He idolizes Tom Watson and, while it’s way too soon to say he’s this generation’s Watson, he has similar characteristics. There’s an energy about Snedeker that gives off good vibes and people got to know him a little with his Masters experience.

TREVOR IMMELMAN
He proved with his victory at the Masters that he’s an elite player. Now he has the chance to make himself a bigger star. He’s a sharp guy with a ton of talent and enough appeal to make people care. Another big win this summer would be huge for Immelman.

Rocco won fans, hearts at U.S. Open

Rocco Mediate didn’t win the U.S. Open trophy, but he won the hearts.

Until his disappointing end on the 91st hole of a championship that was so close to being his, Mediate found out that there’s still plenty of game left in his 45-year-old body and he learned how it feels to play golf on a cloud.

Tiger Woods is a marvel. We figured that out years ago.

Mediate is just a Pittsburgh guy, who has a balky back and likes to talk.

Everywhere he went over the weekend and on Monday, cheers of “Rocco, Rocco, Rocco” could be heard around Torrey Pines. He had the time of his life.

He could have melted when he was three strokes behind Tiger with eight holes remaining in the playoff, but he didn’t. Instead, Rocco made three straight birdies, flipped the advantage to himself and went to the 18th hole on Monday with a one-stroke lead.

It was the same position he was in on Sunday when Woods had to make a birdie to keep playing. Both times Mediate made a par on a hole that was generous about surrendering birdies.

When he absolutely had to make a birdie, he couldn’t and it cost him. As Rocco kept saying, he forced Woods to do something – and, naturally, Tiger did.

Mediate’s career may be defined by this Open because it reminded us again of how good a guy he is and how capable a player he is when his back isn’t forcing him to do television work or play professional poker.

The trophy went to Tiger.

But Rocco Mediate left with a smile on his face, too.

Winners, losers after Open's first round

WINNERS

-The working man: How else do you explain the presence of Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks atop the leader board after 18 holes? Would you know either one of them if they pulled up a chair beside you?

The Open, of course, is sprinkled with guys who have been one-day wonders and they may fall into that category by Friday evening. But Thursday, they were better than everyone else.

-Ernie Els: He’s not a guy I figured had much of a shot in this Open, given the way his form has been. He’s traded mental coaches again, has changed his schedule back and forth a couple of times and seems unsettled.

But the Big Easy shot 70 in the first round and has a chance to build on that in the morning wave Friday. He knows how to win the U.S. Open, but it’ll take three more rounds.

-The course set-up: As promised, USGA officials played with the tee positions, shaving nearly 200 yards off Torrey Pines’ maximum distance. They’re likely to do the same thing today, though the adjustments might come on different holes.

Amazingly, no one has yet said this course set-up is too difficult.



LOSERS

-Defending champion Angel Cabrera: Maybe he should take up smoking again. Cabrera shot 43 on the front nine Thursday to shoot himself out of the tournament with an opening 79.

-Steve Stricker: He’s been mired in an ugly slump, missing four straight cuts and losing the edge that catapulted him to third in the world rankings late last year. He was leading for a time Thursday morning, shooting 4-under par on his first nine holes, but he followed that by shooting 41 on his second nine to wind up with a disappointing 73.

-Driver companies: Will Phil Mickelson start a trend by playing without a driver? Doubtful, unless the average Joe starts hitting 3-woods 280 yards.

Early surprises at the U.S. Open

There were two immediate surprises Thursday morning when Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott met on the first tee at Torrey Pines to begin play in the U.S. Open.

The first was that Woods would double-bogey the relatively benign opening hole, hardly the way he imagined starting. He yanked his tee shot into thick rough left of the fairway, hacked it back to the short grass, hit a short wedge shot over the green into more thick stuff then missed an 8-foot bogey putt.

Easy six.

It is not Woods’ worst start in a major. He triple-bogeyed the opening hole in the 2003 British Open at Royal St. Georges.

Woods, however, quickly righted himself and made the turn at 1-under par, looking increasingly like the guy to beat again.

The second surprise was the fact that Mickelson chose to play the first round without a driver in his bag.

He had a fairway wood and a hybrid but no big stick on the longest course in major championship history.

Perhaps he was just trying to level things out after playing the Masters in 2006 with two drivers.

The absence of a driver became noticeable on the 515-yard par-4 sixth hole where Lefty was 50 yards behind his playing partners off the tee. He made a bogey five there, the first of three straight bogeys.

For all the questions about whether Tiger would be sharp, it was Mickelson who – at least through the first nine holes – looked off his game.

There's hang gliding, sunbathing in nude

No one keeps official records on this, but it’s a fair assumption that this is the first U.S. Open played beside a nude beach.

For sure, it’s the first Open at a course with a hanging gliding port located near one of the tees.

Then again, we are in southern California.

Hang gliding will be discouraged this week while the Open is being played at Torrey Pines’ South Course. The USGA tends to frown on birdies and fliers buzzing Phil Mickelson when he’s putting.

As for sunbathing in the buff, well, the weather so far this week has discouraged that. It’s been cloudy and cool, which isn’t good for working on your all-over tan but the so-called marine layer is expected to subside this weekend, which means there could be some interesting blimp shots on the telecast.

A more intrepid reporter would have ventured down to Black’s Beach – it has its own website which features a photo of sun-tanned posteriors – but it’s a long trek and, well, I’m comfortable in my khakis, which would probably look out of place down among the, uh, free spirits.

I’ll take the word of a friend that it’s an interesting sight. Maybe if I sneak in behind the fourth green – it’s the one along the cliffs you’ve probably seen photos of – I’ll peek over at the beach.

And if you catch a shot of Tiger looking over the cliff there, you’ll know why.

I found a cool place at Torrey Pines

Here's a quick first impression of Torrey Pines from a man fresh off the plane from broiling Charlotte to the southern California coast:

It's cool.

Literally.

Walking around Torrey Pines at mid-afternoon Monday, a windshirt would have come in handy. I know that's not what anyone in the 100-degree heat wants to hear, but that's the way it feels on the northern edge of San Diego.

They claim this city has the best weather in the country, and I suppose they're right - if you like it sunny and 70 almost every day. The only bad months are May and June when the 'marine layer' intrudes. That means low clouds and a touch of fog shroud everyone within a few miles of the ocean, at least until lunch time. Then it goes back to being sunny and 70 again.

On Monday afternoon, though, it was still cool and gray with just enough breeze to make your eyes water if you stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific for a few minutes. Sorry, that sounds like bragging. And maybe it should.

There are worse places to be than on the 488-yard par-4 fourth hole, which is the one that looks like it's about to fall into the Pacific. You wouldn't want to hit a tee shot there if you have a tendency to let it drift left because the only thing it can hit would be a trawler out in the ocean.

But as far as pretty goes, it wins, especially with a cool breeze coming off the water. The worst that can be said about the fourth hole is there's a sign behind the green warning of rattlesnakes in the brush, in case anyone's thinking of chasing their Titleist down there.

USGA officials are hoping the wind blows a little this week to make things more interesting when play commences on Thursday.

A nice, cool breeze.

U.S. Open history started in Charlotte

Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open – the last way to get in at Torrey Pines next week if you’re not already in – is being held at 14 sites today.

It’s a cutthroat game where too many players are chasing too few spots and one bad hole can leave you home on your couch watching.

And sometimes history begins unfolding during sectional qualifying.

That’s what happened 72 years ago at Charlotte Country Club.

Don Bryant, now 85, was there in 1936 when Open qualifying was held at Charlotte, and he remembers watching how it ended that day.

Tony Manero, who was the pro at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, came to the 18th hole needing a birdie to get into a playoff.

The 18th was a sharper dogleg right in those days and Manero’s hopes looked lost when he hit his tee shot into the edge of what members still call the soup bowl off the right side of the fairway at the bottom of the hill.

“From there, he hit a low shot under some trees and it ran up to the edge of the green,” Bryant recalled. “He was just off the green by a little bit but he made the long putt to get in the playoff.”

At the first hole, Manero hit a poor tee shot that left him a longer approach shot than other players into the green. But Manero scraped together a par and had earned his ticket to the 1936 U.S. Open at Balustrol.

“And, by George,” Bryant remembered, “he won that U.S. Open.”

Going too far to protect par

Last weekend, Jay Haas won the Senior PGA Championship by shooting 7-over par at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

This week, the NCAA men’s golf championship is being played at the Kampen Course at Purdue University where the scores have tended to look like something from a couples-event at the local muni.

And, two weeks from now, we’ll see the best players in the world chopping their way around the cliffs at Torrey Pines in the U.S. Open, no doubt begging for mercy from a course set up to punish the occasionally off-line shot.

All in the name of protecting par, I suppose.

What’s wrong with seeing good players making birdies?

There’s a reason people have been talking about Phil Mickelson’s spectacular 18th hole birdie to win at Colonial on Sunday. It was bold, creative and dramatic. And it was a birdie.

That’s the way golf tournaments should be won.

For years, the Masters was beloved because of how dramatic it was. The weekend was filled with birdies and eagles and heroes. Recently, though, there’s been consternation about the lack of drama and hints that maybe the set-up will be softened slightly.

The U.S. Open has made its reputation on being difficult and it tends to produce quality champions. You know what you’re getting at the Open. A four-day grind that’s as hard mentally as it is physically.

It would be more entertaining if the winner shot, say, 5-under par rather than 5-over par, and the integrity of the event wouldn’t be compromised. It would probably be enhanced.

On the flip side, seeing someone shoot 27-under to win a tournament goes too far the other way.

Finding the balance between difficult and severe is the trick.

What’s the fun in watching everyone make bogeys?

We see enough of that when we play.

Some people say they like to see the pros suffer like the rest of us.

Why?

It’s OK if the U.S. Open is unforgiving. That’s one week a year.

That’s enough.

Woods ready, but not pain-free

Checking out the golf scene:

• Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he expects to be ready for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in two weeks. Woods said his rehab from knee surgery is progressing well and he’s playing golf again. He considered playing the Memorial this week but decided against it because he felt his game was too rusty. During a press conference to promote the PGA Tour event he hosts in Washington in July, Woods said he’s still not pain-free from the surgery but stiffness is the biggest issue he faces. Woods said he decided to have the surgery “two or three weeks before” the Masters and would have had the procedure done even if he’d won at Augusta.
  

• With Phil Mickelson’s victory last weekend at the Colonial – and he could win at the Memorial this weekend – the run-up to the Open will be dominated by the game’s two most captivating characters. Between them, Woods and Mickelson have won nine times at Torrey Pines (Woods has six wins there) but they’re coming at this Open from different directions. Mickelson looks as if he’ll be primed to win his first Open while Woods will not have played since the Masters, a two-month break. For most guys, the two-month break would be reason to downgrade their chances. In Woods’ case, however, it seems less a concern.
  

• In case you haven’t heard, this U.S. Open will go prime-time on the weekend, at least on the East Coast. The USGA has scheduled Saturday’s third round to conclude at 10 p.m. with the final round set to end Sunday at 9 p.m. Obviously, close attention will be paid to NBC’s ratings over those two days, which means the suits would love to see Tiger and Phil in contention. A prime-time finish doesn’t work when the Open is on the East Coast but if the numbers are good this year, expect a similar scenario in 2010 when the Open returns to Pebble Beach.
  

Balsam Mountain: Enjoy the view ...

Perhaps the most challenging question about the new Balsam Mountain Preserve golf course located six miles outside Sylva and about 4,000 feet above sea level is how best to describe it.

Spectacular comes to mind.

So does unique.

If you haven’t heard of the new Arnold Palmer design – and chances are you haven’t – you soon will.

It is sure to get plenty of national attention when the various best new course awards are being handed out at the end of this year.

And as more people get a look at it this summer, the word will spread.

After spending two days there this week, lamenting crooked tee shots and admiring the scenery, I can’t think of any golf course like it.

There is a thrill to playing it because the setting is so dramatic. It is perched atop and between mountain slopes, affording a collection of views that continually divert your attention from the course.

But only for a moment.

The course, designed primarily by the late Ed Seay, is relentlessly unforgiving though the landing areas are generous. There is room along the sides of most holes to miss, but there’s not much room. You can find a fade. You lose a slice.

If you go, take a camera and plenty of golf balls. The good news is the local rule plays everything lost off the fairway as a lateral hazard. Drop a ball, take a penalty stroke and keep going.

Several shots give you a thrill.

The par-3 third hole measured 209 yards Wednesday morning but the fall from tee to green meant it was only an 8-iron shot – and a nervous wait that felt like 30 seconds while the ball was in the air.

At the fifth hole, the green sits perched on a hillside you’d love to have as a homesite.

The half-mile ride from the fifth green to the sixth tee is as good as anything on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The par-5 14th hole is as naturally beautiful as any hole anywhere. Standing on the tee, it feels as if you’re hitting your drive into the sky. Then the hole turns left and plays along a mountain top, offering an unobstructed view of another set of mountains nearby.

The only thing missing from the 14th hole is an Adirondack chair and a cocktail.

It is not a golf course for the timid. It’s penalizing enough that will shatter your confidence in a hurry.

If that happens – and I speak from experience – you can still enjoy the view. There aren’t many like it.

Tiger: Fittest man in America?

In case you’ve been busy doing ab crunches and haven’t heard, Tiger Woods has been named the fittest man in America by Men’s Fitness magazine.

Simply put, it is one of the most significant cultural developments in golf’s long history, ranking right up there with the Titleist ProV1, David Feherty and the beer cart.

A golfer has been named the fittest man in America.

Not the fattest.

The fittest.

Makes me proud enough to suck in my gut.

Among the many things Tiger has taught golfers is the difference between a six-pack and six-pack abs.

That’s why he can wear those shirts that fit tight and show off his biceps. I would too if I had guns like his.

Tiger has made working out part of a golfer’s regimen, though most golfers still keep going past the workout room when we’re on our way to or from the golf course.

For most of us, the only thing more intimidating than a 180-yard carry over water is the bench press.

He has made lifting weights – not the 12 ounce kind – part of his routine when he’s getting ready for a tournament. He also has a supermodel’s waist. I’m just guessing here but he probably doesn’t wear the pants with the expandable waistband.

Tiger has made golfers proud. He’s made the game athletic.

Check the bar at any course and I’m betting you can find a few golfers raising toasts to Tiger.

Or maybe they’re just raising their glasses.

Hensley deserving of N.C. Hall honor

When the new class of inductees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is introduced tonight in Raleigh, North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams and Harlem Globetrotter Curley Neal will be the biggest stars.

But Bill Hensley, who is among the inductees, is just as deserving of his place in the Hall he helped create years ago.

Hensley has been a long-time champion of golf in North Carolina, usually working behind the scenes in his role as a public relations man.

A recent magazine article ranked Hensley, a former sports information director at Wake Forest and N.C. State, as the third-most influential person in North Carolina golf circles.

He has been around the game for decades and understands what makes it part of the fabric of life in North Carolina. He has done national work, doing public relations work for six U.S Opens, but his work to enhance the game here has made him a part of the North Carolina golf scene.

Hensley is the man who created the North Carolina Golf Panel, which annually ranks the top 100 courses in the state and he has been a wonderful ambassador for the area. He does his work in North Carolina but his name is known across the country.

He belongs in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

Two good things come out of TPC

Two very good things came out of The Players Championship Sunday even if all most of us got to watch was Doppler radar while the final holes were being played:

1. Sergio

It was a huge win for Sergio Garcia in many ways. It had been three years since he’d won and a significant portion of his sparkle had dulled in that time. He nearly won the British Open last year but didn’t and the longer he went without winning, the more the questions mounted.

It’s no secret that Sergio (above) doesn’t love the media because he’s been constantly reminded that he’s not been a good putter. He was a good putter when he arrived on tour but he watched too many putts miss and it worked on his head.

He came across as whiney last year after his British Open loss and got blasted for it. In fairness to him, he was bitterly disappointed and let his emotions show.

Asked Sunday evening if he still feels like a kid, Sergio said he plays his best when he plays like a kid but he feels like an old 28-year old.

At The Players, Sergio holed several key putts, including a huge one to get into the playoff. He’s begun working with short-game and putting guru Stan Utley and the results were apparent at Ponte Vedra Beach.

Garcia has what only a handful of players have – star power. He has the smile and the style to be more than a golfer. Sergio makes people watch. And, if we’re lucky, his best is yet to come.

2. Paul Goydos

Until you’re seriously into golf, you probably didn’t know who Paul Goydos was before this weekend. Even Goydos has joked, from time to time, that there’s no reason to know him because he’s never done anything.

In fact, he’s won twice on tour and is one of the most interesting guys on tour. He’s smart, sees the world beyond himself and appreciates what he has as a tour player.

Between the time Goydos won his two PGA Tour victories, Tiger Woods won 60 times, prompting Goydos to tell Tiger to hurry up and win his next 60 so he could win his third.

The win Sunday was important to Sergio’s career but a victory would have changed Goydos’ life in a professional sense. A divorced father who is raising two teen-aged daughters, Goydos almost became famous Sunday.

“I felt like Tiger Woods for a day,” Goydos said in his press conference.

He deserves it.

O'Meara: Kim's swing better than Tiger's at 22

When new Wachovia champion Anthony Kim came to realize his approach to the PGA Tour wasn’t working – he admitted he didn’t work hard enough as a rookie last year and thought he was good enough to walk in and win – he sought the advice of veteran players.

One of those was Mark O’Meara, who served as Tiger Woods’ mentor more than a decade ago.

O’Meara was asked about Kim earlier this year at the Buick Invitational and here are some of the things he said:

• “Everybody asks who’s the next young player to come along. I see a lot of talented young players. Nothing really jumped out at me until I played with this kid. I played three rounds with Anthony (late last year) in Naples and I was blown away. … I was like, whoa, this guy has got some game because he plays the little shots. He wants to win. He’s got a little bit of an attitude but he’s grown up a lot. I think he’s learned by some things that happened to him last year.”
  

• “He knows he’s made some mistakes. He’s willing to change and become a better person and a better player…I just conveyed to Anthony that I’ve been around the game a long time. I’m not an expert but I’ve watched and seen a lot. But you’ve got as much talent or more than any other player I’ve ever seen besides Tiger and I believe that.”

• “At 21, 22 Tiger had already won six tournaments. I think Tiger’s mental game was probably stronger. I think actual technique-wise, swing-wise, I reckon Anthony’s swing is better at 21, 22 than what Tiger’s was. But just because you have a good swing and hit the ball well doesn’t mean that you’re going to win tournaments. We’ve seen that.”
  

Another Kim first: Keeping blue jacket

Anthony Kim apparently likes the blue blazer he received for winning the Wachovia Championship Sunday at the Quail Hollow Club.

The 22-year became the first player in the six-year history of the event to keep the blue coat he was given at the trophy presentation on the 18th green.

Kim, who intended to leave Charlotte Sunday evening, instead spent the night here before heading off to The Players Championship in Florida.

After leaving Quail Hollow, Kim and some friends went to dinner at Del Frisco’s near Southpark and the champion arrived wearing his blue blazer.

When he entered the restaurant, Kim was greeted by a standing ovation from the diners and the staff.

Among those in the restaurant were Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples, who raised a toast to the new king of Quail Hollow.

Wachovia's winners, losers

While Anthony Kim celebrates, let’s look at the winners and losers from the 2008 Wachovia Championship.

WINNERS
- Anthony Kim. He set the tournament scoring record (16-under-par 282) and margin of victory record (five shots) while playing nearly flawless golf. He was under the radar before but he’s not anymore.

- Trevor Murphy. The Charlotte 49ers’ golfer qualified on Tuesday and had to skip the 49ers’ conference tournament, but it was worth it. He got to play against the world’s best and he found out he can do it. Murphy shot 71 on Thursday and was on the verge of making the cut until a bad stretch coming in cost him. Still, it was a terrific story.

-Ben Curtis. He slipped into second place quietly Sunday by shooting 65. There was a time when he was considered a fluke winner of the British Open, but he’s gradually grown into his game and is a nice person.

-Fred Couples. It was nice to see him back after five years. If he could putt, he could still win. But he’s still Freddie and he says he’ll be back next year.


LOSERS
-Tiger Woods. OK, not really a loser, but he had to sit out while he rehabs his knee. Maybe he watched Anthony Kim’s performance and took notice. And, yes, Tiger was missed here but he’s missed every week he doesn’t play.

-Bill Haas. He’s struggling with his confidence and it showed Thursday when he talked about considering a different career. That probably won’t go over well with Papa Jay.

-Trevor Immelman. He’s now 0-for-2 making cuts since winning the Masters. His game has gone on sabbatical, but Immelman smiled and enjoyed himself. His game will be fine.

-Vijay Singh. He was tied for eighth with two holes to play Sunday then dunked two in the lake at No. 17 to ruin his weekend. The good news is he chipped in for a no-putt six. For whatever that’s worth.

Ron Green Jr.

Kim's the leader, but it's not over yet

We’re 18 holes away from handing a blue jacket to someone at the Wachovia Championship - right now it looks like Anthony Kim, but don’t forget that Sergio Garcia brought a six-stroke lead into the final day four years ago and didn’t win - and there’s a shortage of juice.

That’s largely because the names at the top of the leader board are about as familiar as your second cousin.

You’ve heard of them, seen them around a few places but you really don’t know a whole lot about them.

This weekend was supposed to be about Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh and Adam Scott and all those guys who do commercials, endorse clubs and live just outside Tiger Woods’ orbit.

It may still be.

Stewart Cink and Pat Perez proved Saturday that there are low numbers to be posted at Quail Hollow and somebody is likely to throw something gaudy on the board early Sunday afternoon to get the attention of the players in front of him.

Golf gets tougher the later you play on Sunday.

For Kim, this a huge moment. He had a chance to win the Verizon Heritage two weeks ago but couldn’t keep his mind in the same place his body was. As he put it, he was on the first hole and thinking about the second hole.

You don’t have to be a sports psychologist to know that’s not the way you go about things.

But that’s what experience does for you and Kim got some valuable experience when he watched Boo Weekley beat him at Harbour Town.

Heath Slocum is part of the Milton, Fla., gang - with Weekley and Bubba Watson - but he doesn’t get the attention. He also, as far as I can tell, doesn’t chew tobacco on the course like Boo sometimes does.

Jason Bohn has just one win in his career but he’s been playing nicely for a while.

If somebody is going to run down Kim, it might be Cink who has been one of the tour’s best players this year but hasn’t won. He could have been down the road after Friday - he was 5 over after 12 holes in the first round - but he gave himself a lecture during the first round and he has a chance to win today.

Tournaments don’t end on Saturday.

That’s what Sundays are for.

Ron Green Jr.

What's in store Friday at Wachovia Championship?

Now that the first round of the Wachovia Championship is done - as are David Duval, Steve Stricker and Mike Weir this week - we have a hint of how the story might unfold this weekend.

But just a hint.

Interesting questions hang over Friday’s second round. Among them:

How will David Toms play after his opening 67, which surprised even him?
Back problems have bothered Toms this year, but he’s a tough player who might find some good vibes here. He might not win - he acknowledged that - but I’m guessing he hangs in among the leaders for a while.

Is this Phil Mickelson’s year at the Wachovia?
A lot of people would like to think so. He has more top-10 finishes here than any player that hasn’t won a blue jacket and his opening 68 reinforced the sense that Phil is energized about a refreshed putting stroke.

The biggest question about Mickelson is did he really grow an inch over the past couple of years due to his stretching exercises? That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

How about Trevor Murphy?
Even before the Charlotte 49ers senior shot 71 in the first round, he was a good story. Now he has a realistic chance to make the cut. Shows what confidence means to a golfer.

Will the course get tougher?
Probably. It will definitely get drier which means the greens will firm up. The fairways probably can’t get as fast as officials would like them but Quail Hollow showed some teeth Thursday afternoon when the wind started kicking around.

What will Friday afternoon be like?
You tell me. It’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny. Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples are going to be on the course. There will be cocktails, golf and sundresses.
There are worse places you could be.

Mickelson mingles with the masses

Phil Mickelson had finished the bulk of his day's work Thursday, signing for a 4-under par 68 that left him one stroke off the early first-round lead in the Wachovia Championship and he had handled a quick group of radio and television interviews outside the clubhouse.

Before lunch and before a visit to the media center, Mickelson grabbed a Sharpie from his back pocket and walked over to where a couple hundred fans had squeezed themselves close to an iron railing, hoping to get a moment and a signature from him.

He could have ducked inside, relaxed in the leather furniture inside the locker room and left the world outside. But Mickelson took the time to go sign as many caps and tickets and programs as he could. It's part of what Mickelson does and a big reason why he's popular in a different way than Tiger Woods is.

Mickelson smiled and chatted with the fans, including a man named Dee Hunt, who had found himself in the line of fire when Phil's tee shot went left off the fifth tee. The ball caught Hunt between the shoulders and fell down in the left rough.

"He had a good lie in the rough but it came off my shoulder," Hunt said.

Mickelson had already taken a moment to sign his white glove -- "Sorry, Phil Mickelson," it said -- and given it to Hunt.

For 10 minutes, Mickelson stood and signed for others, talking, bringing a few laughs, having a good time with his fans.

He was one shot off the lead, feeling good about his game again and happy to be Phil.

Mickelson's arrival delayed by tragedy

Checking out the scene at the Wachovia Championship:

-- Phil Mickelson’s arrival in Charlotte was delayed Tuesday for a tragic reason. Mary Lou Morton, the wife of Mickelson’s pilot Ted Morton, was killed in an auto accident near Phoenix early Tuesday.

Mickelson was scheduled to arrive mid-afternoon Tuesday but instead isn’t expected until later Tuesday evening. He will tee off at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in the pro-am.

-- Charlotte 49ers golfer Trevor Murphy had his clothes packed for a weekend trip to Orlando to join his teammates in the Atlantic 10 championship.

Instead, Murphy is in the Wachovia Championship after winning a two-hole playoff with Paul Claxton for the final spot in the qualifying event that concluded Tuesday morning at Firethorne.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in a tour event but it’s come a little sooner than I expected,” said Murphy, who shot 69 in the qualifier then won the playoff with a par on the second extra hole.

Murphy said he felt conflicted about missing the conference tournament with the 49ers, who are expected to challenge for the national championship later this spring. However, coach Jamie Green encouraged his players to set high expectations and had no problem with Murphy delivering.

“It’s good for Trevor and good for our program for people to see how strong our team is,” Green said.

Walking around Quail Hollow Tuesday afternoon, Murphy was still coming to grips with what had happened.

“It’s very cool,” he said.

-- Brandt Snedeker is still being asked about his difficult finish in the Masters nearly three weeks ago and he’s still smiling about how people have continued to react to it.

Snedeker even called it “that debacle” and said Tom Watson, who had his own share of heartbreaks in major championships early in his career, called to talk about what happened.

“We talked for half an hour,” said Snedeker, who was a big Watson fan growing up. “Probably one of the highlights of my life was having him tell me he watched the round on Sunday and tried to help me out there.

“It made me feel like I had somebody to talk to about it and he told me if I had any more questions to call him. He’s probably going to change his number because I’ll call him so much.”

Tiger: Surgery planned win or lose at Masters

Tiger Woods said he knew for "a couple of months" that he would undergo knee surgery this year and the question was whether he would have the procedure before or after the Masters.

"The only decision was do you miss the Masters or play in the Masters?" Woods said on his website Friday. "I decided to play. Even if I had won, I still would have had the surgery."

Woods is the defending champion of the Wachovia Championship but will be unable to participate because of the knee surgery performed 11 days ago.

He said his left knee had been "bugging me" for a while. Doctors have told him he should be able to play golf again in four to six weeks, but nothing is certain.

Woods said he will determine his schedule by what his doctors tell him.

He hosted his annual Tiger Jam event in Las Vegas last weekend and was on crutches there. Woods said he is off crutches now but wearing a knee brace and hopes to begin his rehabilitation process soon.

"I’ve definitely been playing in pain, but that's not why I didn't win at Augusta," Woods said. "I just never got comfortable with my putting stroke. Obviously, it was frustrating because I hit the ball well enough to win. It was just one of those things."

Expect firm, fast Quail Hollow

When the PGA Tour arrives at the Quail Hollow Club next week, players may find a slightly different course set-up for the Wachovia Championship.

The intent is to trim the rough but make the greens firmer and faster than they have been in previous years. With shorter rough, players who miss fairways will still be able to reach greens but will have more of a challenge when they get there.

Tour officials have actually slowed the green speeds down at Quail Hollow from what the members sometimes play. This year, however, they’re expected to add speed and firmness to the putting surfaces.

To get the course where they want it, tour officials will need some help from the weather. It looks now as if any rain that comes will be gone by late Monday, which should allow for the course to dry out by Thursday. It helps that Quail Hollow has a Sub-Air system which pulls excess moisture out of its greens.

There was some concern in recent weeks that Quail Hollow’s conditioning had been slow to come around. It’s made a dramatic improvement over the past two weeks and will be in very good shape for the Wachovia Championship.

There are some spotty places in the rough where the rye grass overseed was impacted by the drought but, otherwise, Quail Hollow looks great.

Couples commits to play at Quail Hollow

Fred Couples, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, has committed to play in the Wachovia Championship next week at the Quail Hollow Club.

It will be Couples' first appearance in the tournament since the inaugural event in 2003 when he was among the leaders for two days before back problems flared up.

The tournament has also received commitments from 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and 2003 Wachovia winner David Toms, further enhancing an already strong field.

Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Trevor Immelman, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker are among the players in the field at Quail Hollow next week.

-- Ron Green Jr.

Weekley plays what's my line

Boo Weekley doesn’t have an entourage.

He probably doesn’t even know what an entourage is, which is another reason to like him.

He did have a handful of friends and family members waiting on him Sunday night after he’d won his second straight Verizon Heritage championship and, from the looks of things, they seemed ready for a big time. The friends, anyway.

His mother, Patsy, was there as she had been all week, enjoying the sunshine, the hospitality and a second victory by her son who has become the new prince of the South Carolina lowcountry.

At the Masters, Boo did a daily diary for the Augusta newspaper about his first Masters experience. Last week, Patsy Weekley did a diary for the Hilton Head newspaper about her Harbour Town experience.

Asked which was better, Boo said his mother’s was because “she knows how to spell.”

Boo seems to just roll along like a river he’d like to drop a line in.

“This golf is a crazy game,” Boo said Sunday evening, explaining that he hoped to play a while longer then get out so he can hunt and fish, which is what he really likes to do.

Boo is one of the best things to happen to the PGA Tour since private jets.

He’s a guy who likes to stand on the practice tee and tell hunting and fishing stories. He was telling one last week about some guys shooting armadillos and he seems wonderfully unaffected by his celebrity.

In interviews, he still says yes, sir and yes, ma’am to questioners and if any of his act is put on, he’s a better actor than Daniel Day-Lewis.

He’s funny without trying. In his media session Sunday evening, he was wearing his tartan champion’s jacket and pointed out that when he won last year, tournament officials gave him a jacket for the ceremony. Boo discovered fortune cookies in the pocket.

Of course he did.

And it’s golf’s good fortune that Boo isn’t quite ready to go hunting and fishing full time just yet.

Boo is scary-good at Hilton Head

Ain’t Boo Weekley great?

I mean, really, is there a better, more genuine personality in professional golf - any sport for that matter - than the stocky guy from Milton, Fla., whose mama is spending the week with him at the Verizon Heritage?

I don’t think so.

The funny thing about Boo is he’s street smart for a guy who probably hasn’t spent much time in the streets. Maybe he’s dirt-road smart.

He has a clear vision of his world, who he is and what he’s doing.

Two days into this Heritage, Boo looks like he’s trying to replace Davis Love III as the prince of Harbour Town. Boo won here last year and now he’s at the top of the leader board again despite violating the basic rule of golf around Harbour Town by hitting most of his tee shots semi-sideways.

But if there’s a man in the field who knows his way around trees, it’s Boo. You get the sense that if he could hunt or fish for a living, he’d be doing it.

Other tour players endorse banks and car makers. Boo wears the logo of a company that makes camoflague attire. It’s a perfect marriage.

When Boo hit the ceremonial tee shot into the Calibogue Sound Monday - wearing his champion’s tartan blazer and serenaded by a booming cannon after parading in - he called it “marching around some lagoon.”

His mother, Patsy, played with him in the Wednesday pro-am and outdrove him on one hole, which chapped him a little bit.

After his 64 Friday morning, Boo has played six competive rounds at Harbour Town and never shot higher than 69. He might win here again this year.

It wouldn’t surprise him.

Boo said he started thinking about winning as soon as he got here.

He’s smart that way.

Life happens, even to Tiger

The news that Tiger Woods will miss the Wachovia Championship because of knee surgery is an undeniable disappointment on a couple of levels.

The most obvious reason is he’s Tiger and when he’s in town, it changes everything. Being the defending champion, it was a foregone conclusion he’d be back at Quail Hollow this year but now he’ll be missing for the second time in three years because of a personal issue.

Life happens, even to Tiger.

If you’re hurt, you’re hurt and the knee has apparently been bothering Tiger for a while now. He kept it quiet, though.

At the Masters, there was no hint, not a whisper he was planning to get his knee worked on. Insiders were blindsided by the news when it broke late Tuesday.

Beyond the impact locally, it’s disappointing that Tiger will be sidelined for up to six weeks, which means he’ll also miss The Players. Consider the roll he’s been on – he has nine wins and four seconds in his last 13 starts – and it means everything is put on hold for a while.

As for the Wachovia Championship, it will still be full of glitter. The field is loaded again and once tournaments start, you tend to forget about who’s not there and focus on who is there.

Phil Mickelson will be there. So will Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Trevor Immelman, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker and pretty much everyone else you want to see.

And, it’s safe to say, Tiger will be back in the future.

Snedeker talks about his tears

Before walking into the media center for a pre-tournament interview at the Verizon Heritage Tuesday, Brandt Snedeker jokingly asked his agent to make sure there was a box of tissues nearby in case he started crying again.

Snedeker endeared himself to a universe of golf fans Sunday when after shooting 77 in the final round of a Masters he might have won, he couldn’t stop the tears while talking about his experience.

With his long blond hair curling out from under his visor and the emotion of a churning week written on his face, Snedeker finally had to bury his face in the towel on his shoulders when the tears unexpectedly hit.

The funny thing is Snedeker was thrilled with his Masters week, finishing tied for third there.

"I didn’t want anyone to think I was crying over spilled milk or something like that," Snedeker said. "I was emotional because I came so close to living out one of my dreams and I wasn’t able to do it."

Snedeker said he couldn’t remember the last time he cried and said he understood exactly how Len Mattiace felt when he cried after losing the 2003 Masters to Mike Weir in a playoff.

"I realize why he was crying like a 16-year old girl whose prom date didn’t show up," Snedeker said.

He’s fine, really he is. In fact, Snedeker is a good bet to contend at Harbour Town this week.

"I love this place," he said.
And he was smiling.

Hits and misses from the Masters

The good:
-- Masters moon pies. I even heard people in the concession line saying they had been asked by friends to bring some home. It’s a better deal than having to buy someone a golf shirt.
-- Brandt Snedeker. He didn’t win, but it was his first time contending for a major championship. With his game and his personality, Snedeker is one of the game’s new stars and looks like he’ll be around a long time. Plus, he plays fast, which is a bonus.
-- The azaleas. I have to mention them. It’s almost law when you’re at the Masters. They had a terrific week.
-- Trevor Immelman. Start to finish, he was the best player at Augusta National this week.
-- Ian Poulter’s pink and white golf shoes.
-- The old guys – Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam – both of whom made the cut.
The bad:
-- Masters memories. This was a decent Masters, but not one that people will be talking about for years, unless they’re related to Immelman.
-- Tiger’s miss at the par-5 13th on Sunday. Just when you thought he was ready to make his move – with Immelman in trouble at the 12th – he yanked his 5-foot birdie putt, missing one you never expect him to miss.
-- Paul Casey. A chorus or two of "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday" for Mr. Casey. He was two off the lead after the third hole and then he was gone, losing six strokes over the next five holes. That’s going to leave a mark.
-- Ernie Els. Sergio Garcia.
-- Hearing a concession stand attendant barking "Last call for alcohol, last call for alcohol" as 4 p.m. approached one afternoon. That’s when beer sales are cut off at the Masters but never in such a barmaid kind of way. It was, for sure, an isolated – and unauthorized – incident.

Tiger's going to end dreaded majors streak some day ... maybe Sunday

As every golf fan with at least a swoosh for brains knows, Tiger Woods has never won a major championship when he didn’t start the final round with at least a share of the lead.

Like that’s a bad thing.

He’s won 13 majors already, so it’s getting a little touchy to point out that he’s always been ahead on Sunday when he’s done it. Well, duh.

But because there are practically no other ‘negatives’ on Woods’ record, the coming-from-behind-to-win-a-major one comes up every time he hasn’t already won the tournament by Saturday evening.

And, by the way, Tiger knows. He keeps getting reminded about it, like he did again Saturday afternoon after playing his way into the rear-view mirror of Trevor Immelman and Paul Casey.

What does it mean? Not much.

One of these days, maybe Sunday, Woods is going to shoot 64 or 65 in the final round and win a major we had conceded to someone else. But that’s not easy to do, even if you are Tiger Woods.

If the worse thing that can be said of Woods is that he hasn’t come from behind to win a major, he’ll be able to live with it. But I’m guessing he won’t have to say that forever.

And imagine what it’ll be like when he does.

Mickelson lurking ...

Everyone who thinks Trevor Immelman is going to win the Masters raise your hand.
Brandt Snedeker?
Phil Mickelson?
Now we’re getting somewhere.
And what about Tiger Woods?
You want to say he can’t win – I’m tempted to say it – but you can’t say it yet. He’s seven strokes back but he’s in 13th place with two rounds to play and it’s not as if the Hall of Fame is in front of him.

Sure, Mickelson’s there and he’s not going anywhere. But Ian Poulter hasn’t proven he can win a major – and who knows what he’ll wear with the green jacket if he does win.
Stephen Ames?
He doesn’t like the place. Bad karma doesn’t win the Masters.
Paul Casey? Hmmmm…
Steve Flesch? He didn’t think he could make the cut before this thing started.

So with two potentially wind-blown rounds remaining, we still aren’t quite sure what to make of this Masters.
Tiger could have played himself totally out of it Friday but he didn’t. He stayed just close enough to make us wonder if he’ll win. I hope he’s close enough going into Sunday to make us think he can win, too.

Mickelson looks ominous. He’s been almost under the radar so far and he’s 5-under, three off the lead. Everybody likes to compare Lefty to Arnie in his prime and we all know Arnie won in even numbered years – 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. Well, Mickelson won in 2004 and 2006 and you know what year this is.

But we’re just halfway there. We’ll know a lot more when Saturday evening comes.

Masters experience 'just a dream' for Wagner

If you needed to be reminded of how special the Masters is to golfers, the smile on Johnson Wagner's face at lunch time Friday told you.

Charlotte's new PGA Tour star appeared to be safely inside the cut-line at 2-over-par 146, having recovered from a potentially disastrous triple-bogey on the first hole.

For the second straight day, Wagner played the back nine well - he's 5-under par in two trips around the back side - and for the fifth straight day he was having a blast.

"I'm so fired up," said Wagner, who had family members drive from Richmond to Augusta with a brief overnight stop in Charlotte.

If Wagner can figure out how to handle the greens on the front side - he's had five 3-putts on the first three holes so far - he could make some noise over the weekend.

He made one serious mistake Friday - hitting his tee shot on the first hole so far to the right that a marshal told Wagner "I've never seen one over here before."

After making a seven, Wagner could have been playing himself home for the weekend, but he made a nice recovery.

"It's just a dream," Wagner said when asked if he's feeling worn down from the swirl his life has become since his victory in Houston on Sunday. "I'm not going to be tired this week."

-Ron Green Jr.

Worldwide Leader meets Masters mystique

There has been great consternation – OK, maybe some questions – among those who consider the Masters and all of its traditions holy about how ESPN will handle its new role as television host of the first two rounds, plus Wednesday’s par-3 event.

The Masters doesn’t do hype.

Sometimes, it seems, that’s all that ESPN does.

But in hoping to expand its global reach, the Masters signed on with The Worldwide Leader for weekday coverage.

It didn’t come without some serious discussions, basically from club chairman Billy Payne, who made it clear that he didn’t want any boo-yahs or nicknames or self-indulgence from ESPN.

To that end, the network is using the CBS talent except for host Mike Tirico, who will handle the role the too blustery for golf Chris Berman typically handles at the U.S. Open. Payne insisted he was not involved in the process of determining which announcers ESPN will use this week.

On a similar point, Gary McCord has said several times that it is not Augusta National’s decision that keeps him out of the CBS broadcast this week. Rather, he has chosen not to be part again to avoid the hullabaloo that would surround his return after his infamous ‘bikini wax’ remark many years ago.

The Masters is changing with the world while doing an admirable job of retaining its old-style charm. You can watch Amen Corner on-line if you wish or even play a computer putting game on the tournament’s website.

Payne admitted Wednesday there has been some consideration of licensing a video game. It would, of course, be Augusta National’s own game, not one incorporated into anyone else’s game.

For most of the world, the Masters will be seen through the ESPN lens these next two days. The network went the warm and cuddly route Wednesday, featuring the kids during its par-3 coverage. I’m guessing it will work hard to do right by the Masters and what the tournament – and the viewers – want.

Let me know what you think of ESPN’s coverage.

Masters Moon Pies? Only in Augusta

There are certain things you can get only at the Masters.

The green jacket. Shirts and caps with the familiar Augusta National logo.

And, now, an official Masters Moon Pie.

That delicacy, two chocolate covered graham cracker rounds sandwiching marshmallow cream, has been added to the concession menu this year. They’re small, two for $1.

I ask you – how uppity can a place be if it serves Moon Pies?

It’s the perfect complement to a classic Masters lunch of an egg salad sandwich, potato chips and a Coke. (It’s a Coke place, not Pepsi because Coke helped get this thing rolling many years ago).

The Wachovia Championship in Charlotte has a stand where fresh crepes are cooked, stuffed with all kinds of good, gooey things. Starbucks coffee is available. The barbecue is good enough to make Donald Trump smile.

There’s even Wachovia Championship lip balm (at least in the players’ locker room). But there’s no official Wachovia Championship Moon Pie. Maybe Charlotte’s tournament can sell its own version of S’mores.

It’s not just Moon Pies the Masters has added.

This year, the potato chips are official Masters potato chips. They’re in little bags and have the Masters logo on the front. The green ones are regular chips, orange are barbecue.

The chips and the Moon Pies are only available at Augusta National. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get some for yourself.

I’m just guessing here but keep an eye on e-bay. Someone’s sure to offer Masters Moon Pies soon.

Feherty just happy to be here

Among the dozens of people standing under the big oak tree behind the Augusta National clubhouse Tuesday was David Feherty.

And no one was happier to be there.

Several weeks ago, Feherty – who will be back at work dispensing his unique blend of wit and wisdom on the CBS telecast this weekend – was hit by a truck while riding his bike and suffered serious injuries.

Ribs were broken, a lung was punctured, a shoulder was damaged and a life was nearly lost.

Fortunately, Feherty survived even if everything isn’t exactly where it used to be.

“See this lump on my shoulder?” Feherty asked, pointing to his left shoulder. “It’s supposed to be beside this lump but they’re about an inch and a half apart right now.”

There was a bandage wrapped around his left elbow where he’s still having problems and it’s uncomfortable to move – but not as uncomfortable as before.

Feherty will be in a tower this week rather than walking Augusta National’s many hills. He will, however, have to climb a ladder to his seat, and that won’t be easy.

Only one thing worries Feherty these days – pollen.

And once the promised sunshine and warm weather pulls the dampness out of Augusta National, the pollen will be back.

“I live in fear of the sneeze,” Feherty said.

At least he lives.

First three days of Masters a treat for fans

The first three days of Masters week are so much different than the four days when the tournament is actually being played.

Even the players are different.

There’s a practice-round tradition that has developed over the years where the players try to skip shots across the pond on the par-3 16th hole. It’s the ultimate hit-and-giggle moment with fans counting the skips and cheering the shots that reach dry land.


Though there’s serious work being done by the players while they’re playing practice rounds, the edge is gone. They’ll stop for photos – cameras are allowed Monday through Wednesday – and occasionally a player will pull someone from the gallery to do something with them.

Though there are no official numbers, there are more people on the property early in the week than during tournament rounds. Somehow, almost all of them manage to squeeze onto the par-3 course on Wednesday afternoon.


One of the great treats if you’re at Augusta National on Wednesday is the freedom to walk around the course in the afternoon. Players must be off the course by early afternoon, which means most of the patrons have gone to the par-3 event, leaving the course open for a stroll that allows you to stop and look at the place without trying to see over the heads of four people in front of you.

Then there’s the merchandise building. Most tournaments have a tent. The Masters has a big permanent building selling everything from shirts to caps to baby clothes. The tournament could make millions more if it sold its merchandise online, but officials have said for years they want the patrons to have access to something others can’t get.

Especially early in the week, the lines can be extremely long getting into the merchandise building. There are even signs outside telling the shoppers how long the wait from various points in the line.

But it’s like a Disney store for golfers. It’s not unusual to see someone walking out with eight or 10 hats, half a dozen shirts and several golf towels. Christmas is still eight months away but a lot of gifts are bought here this week.


And why not?

It’s the Masters, and like Christmas, it only happens once a year.

First local PGA Tour winner in 20 years

When Johnson Wagner won the Shell Houston Open Sunday, he did more than earn himself a tee time Thursday in the Masters.

He became the first Charlotte resident to win a PGA Tour event in more than 20 years. Jay Haas lived here in the early 1980s when he picked up a couple of victories before moving to Greenville, S.C. Prior to Haas, you had to go back to Clayton Heafner's days in the 1940s and 1950s to find a Charlotte-based tour winner.

Wagner moved here two years ago after a breakout season on the Nationwide Tour. After leading wire to wire at Houston last week, he redefined his career.

Not only did Wagner play himself into the Masters this week while earning a $1.08-million check, he landed a spot in the Mercedes Championship at Kapalua next January plus better tee times as a tour winner.

That means Wagner might finally play with Tiger Woods, who he's seen plenty but not yet played with.

Wagner said Sunday evening that he had felt his game coming around in recent weeks, after working with his teacher, Bobby Hines, in Florida. The payoff came in a huge way.

Most impressive was how Wagner handled himself while trying to win his first tour event. He was nervous -- it was obvious watching him -- but you're supposed to be nervous when you're trying to win, especially the first time.

He didn't let a three-putt bogey at the 14th shake him and he kept making good swings and smart plays. The 11-foot par putt he holed at the 17th after a poor first putt probably sealed the tournament for him.

Wagner's victory also reinforced the decision by Masters officials to reinstate the rule that gives a spot to PGA Tour winners. It was part of the intrigue Sunday afternoon, knowing Wagner was playing for more than just a championship.

And when the Wachovia Championship rolls around in less than a month, Charlotte will have its own hometown guy among the favorites.

Masters picks who aren't Tiger or Phil

As an official member of the golf media, there are certain rules that must be obeyed.

One is to never wear an article of clothing that includes the logo of the tournament you’re currently covering (i.e. wearing Shell Houston Open attire at the Shell Houston Open is, to use a golf term, out of bounds though it’s well within the rules at, say, the Memorial Tournament).

There are only two exceptions to the logo rule.

One goes into effect next week where it is officially OK to wear Masters stuff at the Masters because, well, it’s the Masters and the rules are just different there.

The second exception is if you spill enough mustard on your regular shirt and you have to go buy a shirt, that’s OK - but only for a couple of hours.

Then there’s the rule about no cheering in the press room, which is standard operating procedure anywhere scribblers and mini-cams gather for a contest. The idea is to be fair and impartial, or at least pretend to be.

However, we all have our soft spots (or most of us do anyway), which leads to this list of players I would love to see win the Masters next week. I have not included Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson because everyone wants to see them in the final pairing on Sunday and they’re on every list anyway.

Feel free to chime in with your own list if you want (I know there’s a spot to do that if you make it to the bottom of this blog and are computer savvy enough to add a comment).

Here’s my list of five guys I’d like to see win this year and yes, it would include Davis Love III if he were eligible. As a matter of full disclosure, every year that the Augusta Chronicle newspaper has asked me to pick a winner (it asks a lot of writers), I’ve picked Davis, explaining that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

5. Sean O’Hair: We’re all familiar with the story of his abusive father and how O’Hair emerged as a genuinely good guy with a ton of talent. We keep looking for the best young American player and it could be O’Hair. And the way Augusta brings out the emotion, imagine the story of him winning.

4. Charles Howell III: The hometown kid has been good but not great so far. In fairness, he didn’t have any warm-up time. He arrived on the PGA Tour with enormous expectations thrust upon him and he’s built a solid but not yet spectacular career. We’re still waiting for the big moment and they don’t get any bigger than the Masters, especially for a kid from Augusta.

3. Fred Couples: I know he’s already won the Masters but that was 16 years ago and Freddie is in the twilight of his golf life now. He teased us two years when he played with Mickelson in the final pairing but Freddie’s putter killed him. Couples is one of those guys women want to be with and men want to be like. One more Masters for Freddie would be the best.

2. Ernie Els: It’s hard to feel bad for a guy who has homes around the world, a private jet, three major championships, a good family, a beautiful life and a golf swing like Ernie’s but you can’t help but feel a touch of regret that he doesn’t have a green jacket. Mickelson pierced him in 2004 after Ernie played a great back nine on Sunday and he’s had more near misses than storm chasers. If anyone’s ever been due, it’s Ernie.

1. Boo Weekley: Do I have to explain?

Monty blames TV for Masters absence

Leave it to Colin Montgomerie, everybody's favorite twit, to explain to the world that it's the fault of Asian television markets and Masters officials -- not his own declining golf game -- that he won't be at Augusta National next week.

Monty failed to qualify for the Masters this year, unable to meet any of the many qualifying standards and his absence from Augusta became official this week when he wasn't among the top 50 in the world rankings, his last possible way to qualify since he's not playing the Shell Houston Open.

Rather than blame his game -- had he been able to slap a 7-iron on the 18th green at Winged Foot and two-putt for par on the 72nd hole of the 2006 U.S. Open none of this would be an issue -- Monty chose to point out that Masters officials are more worried about their television ratings in China, India and Thailand than they are about him. Augusta officials chose not to offer Montgomerie a special exemption, something they do on a selective basis for international players.

"There has been no call from Augusta and I am not expecting one," Montgomerie said in Munich this week where he was promoting a European Tour event.

"Now, if I were the only person in the country, à la China, I might get in. It is a strange way to make up a field for a Major championship - television rights. They are quite open about why. They were when I missed out last time in 2005 when they picked Shingo Katayama who was 67th in the world and I was 51st. They picked him over me for the Japanese rights. And they have done the same with Thailand and China this time.

"I am not the only one who feels that way and not just because I am not in. In or not I'd be saying the same thing. It is a strange criterion to pick a major field.

"The Masters is the only one you can get invited to. At the Open, the U.S. Open and the U.S. PGA you have to qualify. But the Masters have their own rules so we will leave them to it. It would be easier to swallow if no one was invited and it was done on sporting and not commercial criteria."

That is, more or less, the fully Monty on why he won't be in Augusta. Like it's the fault of Jeev Milka Singh or Prayad Marksaeng or Liang Wen-hong, each of whom did receive special exemptions and, in case they're asked, can offer the results of various tournaments in which they've beaten Monty this year.

Masters chairman Billy Payne has made no secret that he believes the tournament can expand golf's global reach and if using exemptions to raise the profile in Thailand and China helps, there's nothing wrong with that.

Payne could have offered Monty an exemption but he didn't. Monty had plenty of opportunities to play his way into the Masters but he didn't. And, for the record, the U.S. and British Opens offer special exemptions, not just the Masters.

I'm a fan of Monty's. He can be prickly and there's an almost cartoon quality to him when he feels aggrieved. He was unfairly picked upon by American fans for years and he absolutely deserves a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame though he's never won a major and probably never will.

At least now Monty has one less thing to worry about in the future. There won't be any special invitations arriving in the mail from the Masters.