Kyle Stanley looking ahead, not behind

Kyle Stanley is doing his best to move on.


The former Clemson All-American's spectacular playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open -- Stanley triple-bogeyed the 72nd hole to fall into a playoff he lost on the second hole -- was the most jarring moment of this young professional golf season.

In command of the tournament almost throughout, building what was briefly a seven-stroke lead in the final round, Stanley's collapse brought tears to his eyes Sunday when he tried to explain what happened moments after Snedeker accepted the trophy.

By Tuesday in a pre-tournament press conference prior to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Stanley was focusing on the positives.

"I'm just overwhelmed by how much support I've gotten from people. It's been great," Stanley said.

Sunday night wasn't great, said Stanley, who finished Clemson in 2009.

He spent it with friends and family members who were in San Diego with him. He ate dinner and got some sleep but Stanley kept seeing his 80-yard third shot spin off the 18th green and into a water hazard, putting into motion his nightmarish finish. Had the ball stayed on the green -- he intentionally played a lower-lofted wedge on his third shot to minimize backspin -- Stanley would have his first PGA Tour win and a spot in the Masters.

Instead, he's another victim of the game.

"It's a crazy game," Stanley said. "It can love you. It can hate you."

A native of Gig Harbor, Wa., Stanley said among the messages he received after the tournament was one from Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few. Though Stanley attended Clemson, he has been a lifelong Gonzaga hoops fan, watching every game he can.

Stanley has never met Few but appreciated his message.

"He just told me to keep my head up and that I played tough and that down the road I'm going to be stronger for it," Stanley said.

Tour players Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker were among those who reached out to Stanley Sunday and Monday.

"I think it's just all across the board, just words of encouragement, keep your head up, don't forget how well you played," Stanley said. "I know I may not have believed it on Sunday night or even Monday morning but everybody just keeps telling me I'll be a lot stronger for it and I agree...that I will."

What's the easier way to lose, Tiger's way or Stanley's way?

   What's the toughet way to lose, slow bleeding like Tiger Woods and his scatter-shot driver Sunday in Abu Dhabi or Kyle Stanley's head-shaking collapse at Torrey Pines?

   There's no good answer.

   For Woods, getting beat by Robert Rock had to make the long flight back to the States even longer, no matter how cushy Air Tiger might be. Woods was right there, ready to win a full-field event for the first time in more than two years and suddenly he couldn't find a fairway with OnStar. He hit two fairways on Sunday and six greens -- an equation for frustration.

   If you're keeping track at home, that's three times in the last five that Woods hasn't won after holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

   What does that mean?

   It means he still has to prove he can win again. The Chevron World  Challenge is one thing. Beating Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and, yes, Robert Rock is something else. Overall, the takeaway should be positive for Tiger. He plays to win and he failed there but he showed a game that continues to look better. It let him down on Sunday but for three days, it had him where he needed to be.

   Now we wait until next week at Pebble Beach to see what's next.

   As for Stanley, his collapse was colossal. That's the cruel nature of golf -- one awful hole can ruin an otherwise great day or, in his case, a great week. It was one of those awkward moments where no one is quite sure what to say or how to react.

   Taking six from 77 yards away never entered anyone's mind. It might happen to regular golfers but it seemed inconceivable it could happen to a player as in control of his game as Stanley had been.

   Is it a career-killer?

   Probably not but it's going to stay with him every time he's in contention until he conquers the winning thing. Plenty of great players struggled to close the deal early in their careers. Tom Watson could give a lecture on the subject.

   Stanley, meanwhile, is just speechless.

Tiger starts fresh -- again

   Tiger Woods has pronounced himself healthy again and his 2012 season begins Thursday in Abu Dhabi, an uncommon starting point for him but a testament to the power of appearance fees and playing against a field that includes Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer, among others.

  It's time to find out how good Tiger can still be.
 
  Two years ago, there was the messy aftermath of his personal issues.

   Last year, there were health issues.

  This year, Woods seems fully ready to go, bolstered by a strong finish in 2011 and seemingly comfortable with his new Sean Foley-installed swing.

   He hasn't won an official PGA Tour event in 28 months. He's been stuck on 14 professional major championship victories since the 2008 U.S. Open. He hasn't won the Masters since 2005.

   Woods is 36 years old now, still in what should be the prime of his golf life, but he's an old 36 given the injuries and the stress that have been a part of his life for so long. However, he seems energized again, excited about playing golf on good legs with a swing he trusts and a renewed confidence.

   There's still time for him to chase down Nicklaus's major championship record but the past three years have made it more difficult. We've seen him at his best so infrequently over the past two years that it's like we've gotten accustomed to the sport without him.

   He's back now. Is he as good as ever? Can he be?

   That's what 2012 should tell Tiger and the rest of us.

 

Former 49er has a Ball at Wild Dunes

   Former Charlotte 49ers basketball player Bob Ball was running late for his tee time at Wild Dunes Resort last week and, in the process of hurrying to the first tee at the Links Course, ripped the pocket of his pants on his car door and fell in the parking lot.

   His day got better from there.

   Ball, who played guard for the 49ers in the mid-70s, started his day by holing a 4-rescue from 192 yards for a double eagle on the par-5 first hole at the Links Course.

   He wasn't finished.

   Ball also aced the 129-yard, par-3 16th hole, pulling off the beyond-rare ace/double eagle combo in the same round. According to the Charleston Post and Courier newspaper, a spokesman for doubleeagleclub.org said the feat has been documented only four times, including once by the late basketball coach John Wooden who did it in 1939.

 

Johnson Wagner is PGA Tour's hottest player

   Johnson Wagner is taking this week off from the PGA Tour, choosing long ago to use this week to kick back with his family here in Charlotte.

   Perhaps the rest of the PGA Tour players should send him a thank you note with the postscript 'Take as much time as you need."

   Wagner is the hottest player on the tour right now. It started with a tie for ninth at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, was followed by his victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii and capped by his tie for second Sunday in the Humana Challenge.

  No wonder a group of fans from Calgary were sporting mustaches as they gave Wagner his first tour groupies in Palm Springs, Cal.

   Wagner now finds himself ranked 68th in the world, up 24 spots from last week thanks to his runner-up finish and it brings the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship into his scheduling equation.

   If Wagner can climb into the top 65 in the world he'll miss his turn as defending champion at the Mayakoba Classic to play in the Match Play event in Tucson, Az. The field is open to the top 64 in the world rankings but Phil Mickelson has already announced he won't be playing because of a family vacation that week.

   Wagner will take this week off then play in Phoenix and Los Angeles. If he's close to qualifying for the Match Play Championship, Wagner may also add the Pebble Beach event to his schedule.

   The mustache, Wagner's version of Rickie Fowler's clothes or Charley Hoffman's hair, isn't going anywhere, at least not for a while.

   "I'm looking forward to Phoenix," Wagner told reporters Sunday night. "I'm sure I'm going to get my fair share of criticism."

   He'll be smiling all the way to the bank.

What do the pros really think about Quail Hollow?

   When Golf World magazine released its player-rankings of the courses used on the PGA Tour, Quail Hollow Club was ranked 14th of the 52 courses included.

   The poll was based on anonymous responses from 81 PGA Tour players who were asked talk about what they like and don't like about various courses. Compiled by Geoff Shackelford and Craig Dolch, Quail Hollow's mini-review read this way:

   "The 'pretty' and 'solid' host to nine tour events that landed the 2017 PGA Championship 'fits your eye and is 'overrated but the best overall tournament on tour.' Another player agreed that Quail Hollow's 'hype' is 'influenced by service, conditioning and aesthetics' and 'it's not as great as the CBS drones say.'

   "The reasoning? 'So-so course on great land.' Another feels a change is in order. 'Should be a 9, actually a 6. Bring in Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw or Gil Hanse and in six months it'll be a 9.' Players raved about the 'top-notch conditioning' but said the greens are 'too severe in spots.'

   "Said one: 'Not sure who to blame for that but I'm guessing (Tom) Fazio,' architect of changes to George Cobb's 1961 original layout. 'Jim Nantz is always saying they could host the U.S. Open the next day...not even close,' said a player who cited the 'goofy eighth hole' and the 'stupid' 17th green where 'the best players in the world are trying to miss it to the right and get it up and down.'

   "And 2017 is already in their sights: 'Can't believe the PGA is going there in August.'"

   No great surprises there. The eighth and 17th holes aren't popular with many players, members included, and both are likely to look different by the time the PGA Championship is played there.

   But when you consider the list of Wells Fargo Championship winners -- from Vijay Singh to Tiger Woods to Rory McIlroy -- the pedigree of champions speaks to the quality of the course.

   Every course takes its shots, even top-ranked Augusta National which drew tons of praise but was also criticized for its fairway bunkers being too deep and, according to one player's description, "the course is too gimmicky."

  

Augusta No. 1; Harbour Town No. 2 on Tour top-10 list

   PGA Tour players prefer old-style golf courses and have a special fondness for Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, based on the results of a confidential poll of 81 tour players by Golf World magazine.
 
   The voting was based strictly on course architecture, not the overall tournament experience. It's no great surprise that Augusta National was No. 1 on the list. Harbour Town's second-place ranking reaffirms all the good things players have said about the Pete Dye design through the years.

   As for Quail Hollow Club, site of the Wells Fargo Championship? It didn't make the top 10 list.

  The top 10 PGA Tour courses based on course design according to the players' vote:

1.  Augusta National Golf Club
2.  Harbour Town Golf Links
3.  Riviera Country Club
4.  Pebble Beach Golf Links
5.  Colonial Country Club.
6.  Muirfield Village Golf Club
7.  Shaugnessy Golf & Country Club
8.  Aronimink Golf Club
9.  Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)
10.Congressional Country Club (Blue)

Nagy ready to roll on Nationwide tour

   It wasn't a day for golf at the Club at Longview but Corey Nagy has plenty of those in his future.

   Nagy was part of the announcement of the Nationwide Tour's Chiquita Classic relocating to Charlotte, a move that comes in conjunction with Chiquita's corporate headquarter move from Cincinnati to Charlotte.

   For Nagy, it means a home game in his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour. He'll open his Nationwide season in Bogota, Colombia -- that's right, Bogota, Colombia -- then hit Panama and Chile before heading back home. It's a long way to go to start a season but it speaks to the growing global nature of the game even on the Nationwide Tour.

   Nagy's fired up. He talks excitedbly about getting out on tour and starting the next phase of his professional life. He's headed to Florida later this week for a product event with Ian Poulter then it's back here to continue polishing his game.

   Recently, a national golf publication cited 10 players to watch on the 2012 Nationwide Tour and Nagy was No. 8 on the list.

   The Chiquita tournament is special to Nagy. He Monday qualified into the field last year, shooting 63 to earn his spot. His parents made the drive from Charlotte to watch him play and, in the third round, Nagy made a hole-in-one.

   No wonder he was genuinely excited about the new event in Charlotte. Nagy -- and his long-time group of Charlotte fans -- have plenty about which to be excited.

Simpson climbs to No. 7 in the world, up 200 spots in one year

   One year ago, Webb Simpson was the 207th-ranked golfer in the world.

   After his tie for third in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions Monday, Simpson jumped from 10th to seventh in the world rankings. That makes him the second-highest ranked American behind Tournament of Champions winner Steve Stricker, who climbed to fifth.

    It's a remarkable jump of 200 spots for Simpson, who picked up at Kapalua where he left off last year. In fact, Simpson has been in contention so often since last August that's it's surprising when he isn't on the leader board.

   The top five in the world at the moment are Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Stricker.

An Ideal Twosome: Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo

   It's possible that the most dramatic part of the PGA Tour's season-opening event -- the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua -- won't happen on the impossibly attractive golf course that looks like something Disney drew up.

   The Golf Channel is putting Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller together in the booth for four rounds -- primetime viewing for those of around here -- with the hopes that they'll be, well, themselves.

   Considering only 28 players are in the field -- that's if Lucas Glover can play after dinging his knee in a paddle-boarding accident this week -- there's plenty of opportunity for chit-chat between Faldo and Miller, who should play off each other beautifully.

   Miller shoots from the lip, a trait that has made him excellent at what he does. He makes you listen and he makes you think. He may not always be right but, as the best ones are, he's rarely in doubt.

   Faldo became a new person when he went into television work, revealing his playful and amusing side that had been locked away under his golf armor for decades. He's softer than Miller but enlightening. He won't be afraid to mix it up with Miller which is why they're being put in the same booth.

   They aren't wrecking balls like too many sports radio mouths are these days. But Miller and Faldo can spark a discussion. The ones they have with each other should be entertaining.

Five memories from the 2011 golf season

   Before we turn out the lights on 2011, here are five things from the golf year that I will remember:

   1. Rory McIlroy's season
 
   Perhaps my most vivid memory of the year is seeing McIlroy walking from the scoring cabin behind the 18th green at Augusta National following his final-round meltdown, making his way through hundreds of fans who stood and cheered for him despite his overwhelming disappointment.

    As McIlroy walked under the big tree behind the Augusta National clubhouse, the cheers grew louder with some patrons leaning over the veranda railing to acknowledge him. Inside the locker room, McIlroy patiently answered questions from media members, holding his shoes in a bag as he waited to leave.

   He was the essence of grace at a moment when he undoubtedly wanted to hide.

   Two months later, McIlroy won the U.S. Open at Congressional with a performance that made Sunday at Augusta seem like a bad dream.

  2. Webb Simpson's emergence

    When Simpson was forced to penalize himself one stroke for his ball being moved by the wind late in the final round of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, it was a bitter twist of fate, costing him an outright victory and sending him into a playoff he lost to Bubba Watson.

   But by the end of the season, it was just another chapter in a tremendous story that had Simpson elevating himself to the top 10 in the world rankings. Winless on the PGA Tour when 2011 began, Simpson ended the year with two trophies, a share of the Presidents Cup and a place at the table in the discussion about who is America's best golfer.

   With his belly putter and a relentless competitive streak, Simpson looks built for the long haul. What started in 2011 may not end for many years.

   3. Sunday at Augusta

   It's rare that Sunday at the Masters doesn't deliver drama but the 2011 version was a classic.

   It had Tiger Woods torching the front side and racing up the leader board, threatening to pull off a jaw-dropping comeback victory. It had Adam Scott and Jason Day battling for the lead. It had McIlroy playing out from beside a white cabin along the 10th fairway and four-putting the 12th green.

   Finally, it had Charl Schwartzel birdieing the last four holes to win, something no one had ever done before.

  4. Splash down

   With more than $11 million on the line, Bill Haas stepped into the edge of a mirror-smooth pond to the left the 17th green at East Lake Golf Club and hit what may have been the shot of the year, a watery blast that saved a par in the playoff against Hunter Mahan at the Tour Championship.

   One hole later, Haas won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup at the same time, a double dip he didn't realize he'd won until he was presented both trophies.

   5. The Clemson connection

   The Wells Fargo Championship came down to a pair of former Tiger All-Americans -- Lucas Glover and Jonathan Byrd -- going sudden death at Quail Hollow.

   Byrd, wearing pink pants, made a magnificent birdie at the treacherous 18th hole in the final round to force a playoff with Glover, whose thick beard had some fans wearing 'Fear the Beard' t-shirts.

   When Glover won the playoff, he hugged his mother during the trophy presentation and smiled a smile no beard could hide.

Champions Tour headed back to Hickory

   It looks like the popular Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn will return again next year.
  
   When the 2012 Champions Tour schedule was released, it included the tournament which has had to scrap for sponsorship at various times during its history. There are still some sponsorship issues to be resolved for next year's event but the fact the tour included the Rock Barn stop on its schedule suggests it's in good shape.
 
  An announcement about the tournament's future and sponsorship may come in January.

   It will fall at an ideal time -- Oct. 12-14 -- in Hickory and will follow the SAS Championship in Cary, giving the seniors a chance to spend two weeks in North Carolina.

Tiger, the way it used to be

I recognize that Tiger Woods.


And it's good to see him again.

When Woods won the Chevron World Championship Sunday with a closing birdie to beat Zach Johnson by a stroke, it ended a two-year winless drought and gave us the most definitive evidence that the guy we once marveled at as he rewrote history is on his way back.

He may never be all that he was -- nobody's ever been as good as Woods was for a time -- but if he can be Tiger again that's good enough.

When Johnson missed his birdie putt on the 72nd hole Sunday, Woods had an eight-footer to win. He may not have always made every one of those but it seemed like he did. That's part of what made him special -- the expectation that he was going to do whatever it took because he did it so often.

He did it again Sunday, making a birdie to win and giving us a fist pump that had been waiting to get out. It seems funny to say but it felt fresh.

There was a time when it was a regular occurrence, bordering on the routine. Not anymore. That's what made Sunday special.

Sure, it was a small field in what amounts to a made-for-television event but it still mattered. A year ago, Woods stood at the same place and lost to Graeme McDowell. This time, he won.

It wasn't perfect but it was good enough and that's perhaps the secret to winning tournaments -- being good enough.

I've heard the question several times recently about whether Tiger can still move the needle the way he once did. Maybe not.

But had Johnson or Rickie Fowler or Steve Stricker won the Chevron, it would have hardly been noticed. Because Tiger won, it's news. The needle moved.

Among the many things we haven't seen from Tiger in a long while is a full and healthy season. It seems as if we might get one in 2012, a season in which his knee and his Achilles are in good shape, his Sean Foley-sculpted golf swing is comfortable and his head is clear.

If he has all that, then all us, Tiger included, can find out if he can still chase down Jack Nicklaus.

That would be something to see.

Nationwide Tour event adds to Charlotte golf collection

   With the expected announcement later this month that Chiquita will sponsor a Nationwide Tour event at the Club at Longview beginning next fall, the professional golf calendar continues to improve around Charlotte.

   The Nationwide Tour is stuffed with outstanding players, many of whose names are familiar to golf fans. It's where good young players go to work their way onto the PGA Tour and where older players try to earn their way back.
 
   The Club at Longview is strong enough to host a Nationwide event and it should bring along some well-deserved attention to a very good golf course.

  In addition to the annual Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, the recent announcement that Raintree Country Club will host an event for the LPGA's developmental tour, the continued growth of the talent-rich eGolf Professional Tour based here and regular first-stage PGA Tour qualifying events at the Club at Irish Creek, it's a very good time for pro golf in the Charlotte area.

Will U.S. carry good vibes into the 2012 Ryder Cup?

Observations from watching the Presidents Cup:

-- What is it about the Presidents Cup that seems so easy for the American team as compared to the Ryder Cup, which sometimes resembles a collective nervous breakdown?

That's the mystery captain Davis Love III will try to solve between now and the Ryder Cup matches next fall at Medinah outside Chicago. Whatever captain Fred Couples has done the last two times worked beautifully but Jack Nicklaus had similar success.

It helps when putts fall. Just ask Tiger.

-- Webb Simpson's breakout year got even better at the Presidents Cup where he won three early points, teaming with Bubba Watson. Simpson looked totally comfortable at Royal Melbourne, seeming to thrive in match play.

He's likely to be a fixture on U.S. teams for the next decade so it's encouraging to see him play so well. Wonder if Love has already penciled in Simpson and Bubba together at Medinah?

-- It was a nice touch to see Tiger Woods get the winning point in the Sunday singles, given all the controversy surrounding Couples' early decision to add him to the team.

Tiger didn't get a lot of help from his partners Steve Stricker and Dustin Johnson in the foursomes and four-balls but you can see his game coming back. He made six birdies Sunday -- more than anyone in singles -- and looked like a guy who was happy to be there. That was good to see.

-- Team MVP honors belong to Jim Furyk, who turned his lost season around and posted a 5-0 mark in the Presidents Cup. He's never been flashy -- and watching Furyk and Phil Mickelson reading putts together can be patience-testing -- but Furyk has been one of the best players of his generation. Last week at Royal Melbourne just reconfirmed that.

-- Royal Melbourne was beautiful proof that golf courses don't have to be 8,000 yards long with knee-deep rough to challenge the game's best players.

It was filled with short par-4s and medium-length par-3s and stood up to the best players in the world. The greens are magnificent, a perfect blend of speed, firmness and contour, demanding imagination, nerve and touch. The bunkering is spectacular and, as others have suggested, why can't more courses here groom their bunkers like those at Royal Melbourne where shots carom off bunker slopes and gather at the bottom?

-- With a good blend of young players and veterans, the U.S. should be strong when Love captains the Ryder Cup team next year. A couple of names may change but the bulk of the Presidents Cup roster will probably be at Medinah next fall. That should put a smile on Love's face.
------

Photo: Bill Haas of the U.S. team and teammate Webb Simpson of Charlotte pose with the Presidents Cup trophy Sunday.  David Cannon - Getty

Nagy one big step away from PGA Tour

To have any chance of earning a PGA Tour card for 2012, Corey Nagy understood Friday what he needed to do.


Nagy, the former Charlotte 49ers star, needed to save par on the last hole of his second-stage qualifying tournament in Brooksville, Fla., from a spot where he seemed certain to make a bogey. Nagy was riding the cut line and he wasn't positive a par save would get him to the qualifying school finals in California later this month but he knew a bogey would assure him of playing more mini-tour golf in 2012.

From the thickest rough on the course and to a hole cut in a diffcult spot, Nagy saved par by nearly holing his chip shot, allowing him to slide into a tie for 18th (only the top 21 and ties advanced) and into a new chapter in his career.

If Nagy plays well enough in the six-round qualifying school finals at PGA West in Palm Springs, Cal., he'll earn his PGA Tour privileges for next year. The worst case scenario is Nagy will have at least conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.

"It's pretty awesome," said Nagy, who moved from a tie for 31st to 18th on the last day of the second-stage qualifier at Southern Hills Plantation Club. "I wasn't sure at that moment if it would be enough but I knew I'd done what I could do.

"You know when you start that if you don't play well, you basically don't have a job next year so I definitely felt the pressure."

In preparation for the second stage, Nagy played a practice round at Quail Hollow Club with Webb Simpson and Johnson Wagner, both winners on the PGA Tour this year.

"They encouraged me," Nagy said. "They told me I was good enough and told me to stay patient."

Charlotte's Fernando Mecheffe also advanced to the final stage of qualifying school though Brian Bigley, who played in the Wells Fargo Championship in May, missed advancing by one stroke as did former North Carolina golf coach John Inman.

Couples talks about Jordan missing Presidents Cup

  Obviously, Michael Jordan has more pressing business than serving as an assistant to U.S. captain Fred Couples at the Presidents Cup matches this week in Australia, a duty he served two years ago when the matches were in San Francisco.

   Here's a portion of Bob Verdi's interview with Couples on pgatour.com today with the captain talking about Jordan's involvement with the team:

  Do you miss Michael Jordan?

"I know Phil does. They had some nice card games in San Francisco. Gin. But all the guys miss him. And the caddies. He fit in so well at Harding Park. The guys loved having him there. He even gave a little pep talk to the team. And you saw how he helped out. Almost adopted Sean O'Hair."

He's got important business back in the States.

"Yeah, he's a majority owner of an NBA team in Charlotte and they're having a lockout. He called me three weeks ago and said he just couldn't make it. I wasn't surprised, because he's got to be part of the negotiations so they can get that thing straightened out. He did send all the caddies and us captains and co-captains a pair of Air Jordans, though. And I'm sure we'll hear from him while we're over here."

Did Michael say anything else?

"Actually, he did. When he called, he asked me if I could do one thing for him. I'm thinking, 'What the heck can I do for Michael Jordan?' Well, he asked for the U.S. Team golf bag we had made up for him with his name on it. Which was pretty cool, when you think about it. I think it shows how much he enjoyed being part of our team in San Francisco. I got a little criticism for naming him, too, but again, how can you not want Michael Jordan around? We had the two greatest athletes in the world in our room at Harding Park. Michael and Tiger. And there's something wrong with that?"

Mickelson gets what he deserves -- a spot in the Hall of Fame

Phil Mickelson didn't need to be elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame for his place in the game's history to be secure but the news today that he'll be inducted next May made it official.

As a matter of full disclosure, I voted for Mickelson this year, the first time he was on the ballot. We can quibble about whether guys still in the prime of their careers should be put into a Hall of Fame -- I personally think 50 should be the starting point for eligibility -- but, regardless, Mickelson was automatic.

   Somehow, his wife Amy and caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay belong in there, too, and I'm sure Phil will include them in his induction speech.

   Mickelson is the best kind of professional golfer, at once mesmerizing, thrilling, charismatic, worrisome and unique. He's got a touch of Arnold Palmer about him and, next to his short game, his greatest strength may be his smile.

   It goes a long way in explaining his rock star status. Fans adore Mickelson. They respected Tiger but they've loved Phil.

   I've been fortunate to watch Mickelson from close range through the years and following him through galleries between greens and tees, especially when he's been in contention in major championships, makes you wonder if that's how Elvis must've felt at times.

   There was a time when we wondered if Mickelson could win a major championship. His damn the torpedos style was great for television but not necessarily great for avoiding trouble. It's easy to tick off the moments when he flamed out but it's easier to look at his collection of green jackets and trophies and appreciate that we've been watching one of the all-time greats for the past two decades.

   Another generation had Nicklaus and Palmer. We've had Mickelson and Woods, pretty good stuff.

   It was trendy to be cynical about Mickelson earlier in his career. His smile came too easily. He said all the right things.

   That cynicism, like questions about his ability to win majors, disappeared long ago. People shared his disappointment after the debacle at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. They felt his pain when Amy and his mother were diagnosed with breast cancer.

   Mickleson has been different in so many good ways. As David Feherty has said, there's a mad scientist quality to Mickelson that makes him all the more intriguing.

    Golfers like Mickelson don't come along often, nor do people like him. It's our good fortune he came along when he did.

Steve Williams, golf's new drama king

   We're approaching the second anniversary of the great fire hydrant moment that changed Tiger Woods forever and you'd think things would have settled down by now.

 

   Instead, the swirl continues, the latest chapter coming over the weekend when Steve Williams, Woods' former caddie, offered his crass observation about wanting to shove a victory, well, you know what he said.

  For a guy who should have learned his lesson with the way he mishandled Adam Scott's first victory with him on the bag, Stevie redoubled his error by taking another public shot at Tiger. It was off the record, Williams said. No, it wasn't. Not when you say something like that in front of group of players, caddies and  media members.

   What it was was regrettable and, potentially, career-crashing. 

   For whatever reason, Williams attracted an outpouring of goodwill when, after being dismissed by Woods, Scott won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational with Stevie toting his clubs. In an unfortunate lapse of judgment on both sides, Williams was interviewed on television before the man who actually won the tournament.

   Williams took a little too much joy in the moment, it seemed.

  Now this. 

   He and Tiger talked in Australia this week, Williams apologized and they made peace, at least publicly. The sting will linger, though.

  Through the years covering Woods, I tended to give Williams the benefit of the doubt with his sometimes aggressive manner. He was asked to be more than a caddie. He was also a bodyguard, in the midst of a media and popularity storm. He had to be the bad cop when the moment demanded it.

   Too often, he seemed to take the role one club too far.

   Now he's embarrassed himself and put a stain on himself that won't soon disappear. 

   Will Adam Scott fire him, tired of the drama that has come with having Williams on the bag? If he were going to, he'd have probably done it already.

   Should he fire him?

  That's Scott's call but I can't imagine Williams has any more strikes left.

  He shouldn't. 

Jordan will sit out Presidents Cup

   The Presidents Cup matches later this month in Australia will have to go on without Michael Jordan.

   Jordan had been one of captain Fred Couples' assistants but due to the NBA lockout and his duties as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan has been replaced by John Cook. The business of basketball has intruded.

   "With the NBA labor situation unsettled, as the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, I feel it is necessary that I remain in the country," Jordan said in a statement.

   Given Jordan's fondness for golf and his regular participation in previous Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups, there's no question he'll miss being at Royal Melbourne with Couples and the boys. Who wouldn't?

   The American team will miss Michael and his cigars, too. He is, after all, still Michael Jordan.

   And it is basketball season. Or, hopefully, it soon will be.