Who Says They're Not Athletes?

There is a portion of the population that questions whether professional golfers should be considered athletes.

They see Tim 'Lumpy' Herron and think, 'Hey, doesn't that guy work downstairs in receiving?'

They see Mark Calcavecchia and think, 'Didn't he used to be really good?"

Well, last week we were reminded again of what finely tuned athletes pro golfers really are.

Jim Furyk, who won the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte last month and may win the U.S. Open this week, was forced to withdraw from the Barclays Classic because he hurt himself -- taking an Aleve.

Only a world-class athlete can do that.

Furyk had finished brushing his teeth and popped a pill into his mouth. In his words, he "hunched over the sink and I kind of tossed my head back in a quick motion and it seems I probably pinched something in my lower neck, upper back area."

I hate when that happens.

Suddenly, Furyk's neck locked up like a bad computer and he had to withdraw from one of his favorite events on tour.

After a couple of days, Furyk's condition improved and now he's in the Open, which is a pain in the neck of a different sort.